


Lost & Found

by NameForsaken



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2018-03-25
Packaged: 2018-04-30 17:30:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 98,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5172971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NameForsaken/pseuds/NameForsaken
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yang is comic book writer in need of an artist, and Weiss just might be that artist! Freezerburn, Photosynthesis (Red Sun), Ace!Blake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. My Sister's Got A Secret

"You've got to be  _kidding_ me! Fourth one in a fucking month!"

Ruby jolted awake at the familiar sound of her older sister's voice echoing angrily from the room over. She brought a hand to the back of her neck as she rubbed a kink out of her sore spine, and she slowly stood up, making her way to the closed studio door. As soon as she opened it, she caught of a glimpse of her sister's dark-haired assistant bolting past, and into the room next door where Yang was still yelling.

"Why does this keep happening? Am I doing something  _wrong_?"

"You'll find another, Yang. You always do."

Ruby stepped out of the room, and walked into her sister's studio, giving both Yang and her assistant a hesitant smile. "Is everything okay over here?"

Yang, a tall blonde with violet eyes that were now narrowed up at the ceiling in frustration, let out a low groan, and pushed back against her desk with one of her sneakered feet. "Yes, sis, everything's just  _wonderful_. I just lost yet  _another_  artist."

The younger girl gritted her teeth. "Yeesh, again?"

"I'm starting to think Ozpin's playing a sick joke on me. Why is it that I'm the  _only_  writer in this place who can't keep a single goddamned artist? He's hiring me phonies, I'm telling you."

Blake, Yang's assistant, just rolled her eyes. "You know you're one of Ozpin's most-valued writers. He wouldn't purposely set you up to fail."

Yang sucked in a deep breath. "I just don't see what I've been doing wrong... All I asked of each of them was for Yin to be portrayed the way  _I_  originally intended. How difficult is it to follow simple instructions? I mean, I've been writing for him for  _years_! Nothing has changed about his aesthetic from then 'til now, but nooo, everyone's got to have their own artistic freedom! It's  _my_  book!"

"It's  _your_  book with Beacon's label on it," Blake reminded her. "Which means whoever Ozpin hires for you, you need to learn to work with."

"You're lucky you're my friend," Yang told her sarcastically. "Otherwise I'd fire you for lecturing me."

The darker girl just smirked. "I don't think you'd ever be able to find someone who could put up with you as much as I do."

Yang sighed. "God, was I always this... this  _bitchy_? Anyway, I blame Ozpin... The next time he tries to get a hold of me, Blake, make sure you send him straight to voicemail."

"That didn't work the first three times you tried to get me to do that," Blake said flatly. She pulled her Scroll out of her back pocket, glancing at the screen. "Hey, Rubes, don't you have class in fifteen minutes?"

Ruby blinked up at her, having been mostly silent until now. She looked up at the neon clock hanging above Yang's desk, and cursed under her breath.  _Shit..._  She rolled her still-sore shoulders back in their sockets, and gave Blake a pitiful smile. "It's too late to make the bus right now... Think I could hitch a ride?"

The older girl grinned. "Of course... That is, if your sister-dearest no longer requests my assistance."

"Hey! I'm still right here, you know," Yang muttered.

Blake let out a light laugh. "I'll get you a coffee while I'm out. At least  _try_  to relax and get some work done."

"Yes, Mom," Yang said, sitting up, and spinning around in her chair. She pulled out a few blank sheets of paper, and began scrawling down a few notes. "See ya later, Rubes," she called over her shoulder.

"Good luck," Ruby told her before following Blake out of the studio, and pulling the door shut behind her. The duo walked out to Blake's old, beat-up sedan, and Ruby hopped into the front seat, leaning tiredly against the warm leather as Blake took the wheel.

"You were up all night again, weren't you?" Blake asked as she stuck her key into the ignition. She had to rev it three times to get the engine started, but Ruby was more than used to the loud sputtering and less-than-efficient condition by now.

Ruby propped her feet up on the dashboard, something Yang never let her do in her expensive sports car, but Blake never seemed to complain. It wasn't like reclining back would ruin the vehicle even more than it already was. "I was working on this new technique Weiss showed me in class last week... You remember the first guy who drew for  _Lost & Found_? She said she learned the technique by studying a lot of his work."

Blake grunted as she pulled out of the studio's large parking lot. She turned onto the main street, and glanced over at Ruby. "Your perfect friend reads comics? Who would've guessed?"

"She only reads the good ones," Ruby said with a firm nod. "And I'm  _not_  just saying that because my sister happens to be one of her favorite writers."

"Have you told her yet?"

Ruby clicked her tongue. "Nope. She still thinks Blondie is a guy... I'm waiting for the perfect opportunity to introduce her to Yang... The funnier, the better."

Blake furrowed her eyebrows. "And how do you plan on going about that?"

She let out a thoughtful hum. "I've got a few ideas..." She reached for her backpack that was still laying on the floor of the car where she'd left it earlier that morning when Blake had picked her up and brought her to the studio. "We've got this project due next week that our professor wants us to work on in pairs, so I'm thinking about inviting Weiss over to Dad's so we can brainstorm ideas... I'd probably introduce her to Yang then, but  _just_  as my sister, and not as Blondie. She'll probably figure it out on her own eventually."

"And when she does figure it out?"

Ruby smirked. "Oh, she'll probably tell me she hates me for not telling her that I'm related to her favorite writer. But she'll get over it, and probably start asking Yang a million questions about Yin, which I'm sure Yang would be more than happy to answer. She loves gloating about herself."

"Don't I know it," Blake said with a laugh. She pulled up in front of a large campus where students were walking hastily between buildings, books and papers clutched to their chests. "Alright, I'll see you later. Either Yang or I will pick you up after class."

"Okay, thanks for the ride, Blake!" Ruby gave her a grateful smile before pushing open the passenger's side door, and getting out. She waited until Blake left the parking lot before turning toward the campus, and starting east for the Fine Arts building. She found Weiss waiting outside the entrance, as usual, dressed in a short, white pencil skirt and light blue blazer, her long, ivory hair pulled back in an off-center ponytail.

Weiss smiled when she saw Ruby approach. "I almost thought you would arrive late again."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I fell asleep and lost track of time... It was  _your_  fault, by the way."

The paler girl raised an eyebrow. "How is it my fault?"

"Because you had me working on that technique all night." She hiked her backpack over her shoulder, and synced her steps with Weiss as they walked to their class. "It's cool, though. You're right, the lines do make the characters more distinct. I never actually noticed it in the original panels."

"I'm not surprised," Weiss said. "Your style is more classic. You tend to pay more attention to realistic detail, while the artist for  _Lost & Found_ was attracted to more abstract and experimental art forms. It was more than just painting a picture to him, he told a story with his graphics."

Ruby scrunched her nose. "Hey, are you calling my stuff boring?"

Weiss frowned, and shook her head furiously. "No, no! I'm just saying that you still haven't really found your niche, yet, is all."

"And that's what I'm here, taking classes for," she said. "Finding your own style isn't something you can just do overnight. I haven't been drawing since I was old enough to pick up a pencil, unlike you."

"That's just a matter of opinion," Weiss told her. "And I already know what I want. I want to be a graphic artist."

Ruby smirked. "Yeah, yeah, everyone in this school already knows that. Weiss Schnee wants to be a panelist and she wants to marry Shì Qù Yin."

Weiss's face reddened. "That's not true! Well, the second part isn't... And you don't understand how  _deep_  those books can be. He's more than just your average detective or hero... He knows what's right and wrong, but he's not quick to judge those he investigates or meets, choosing to give them the benefit of the doubt even when he  _knows_  they're not good people... And he's not perfect. He's got a past that haunts him, but instead of trying to run away from it like most people, he's actively chasing it, and trying to find the answers to questions he's been asking himself since he was a child... He knows what he wants, and he's not afraid to go after it, even though it usually causes him more harm than good."

"You  _do_  realize that Yin is just a fictional character, right?" Ruby asked her as they turned down the hall toward the art room. She held the door for Weiss as the shorter girl passed through, seemingly lost in a dreamlike trance.

"I'm not an idiot!" she just said, keeping her icy, blue gaze forward as she headed to her easel at the front of the room. "I  _know_  he's fictional. But I would just  _love_  to be able to create something as meaningful and powerful as  _Lost & Found_."

Ruby fought the urge to giggle as she sat down at her own easel beside Weiss's.  _She's totally obsessed with Yin..._

Weiss sighed. "Anyway, enough about that for now... Have you given any thought about that partner assignment? We need to find a subject by this weekend if we're going to get it finished by next Friday."

"Actually, I was hoping you'd want to discuss it outside of class." Ruby pulled out her sketchbook and opened to a blank page as a student model entered the room, and took her seat on a bench in the center of the class. Today, she was dressed in shiny armor made by the drama department.

Weiss barely looked at the model as she began sketching lazy lines across her canvas. "What did you have in mind? I've got plans with my father on Saturday to see an art show at the gallery in Vale, but other than that, I should be free."

Ruby stuck out her tongue as she concentrated on the model, paying attention to the detail of the armor as she replicated the smooth edges with her paper and pencil. "My friend Blake has this friend named Sun, and they do parkour together in their free time... It's this cool thing where they run up walls and across roofs and do awesome tricks and stuff."

"I know what it is, Ruby," the other girl just said. "And it sounds neat, but what does it have to do with our project?"

"Well, I was thinking we could do a series of drawings and paintings showing off their fluidity and talent... I think it'd look great in your style, and it'd give me the opportunity to experiment a little."

Weiss nodded. "That actually sounds like a great idea."

"Of course, I should probably mention it to Blake at some point... I kind of just thought of it..."

"Ruby..."

The girl looked up from her easel to see Weiss giving her an incredulous look. She just shrugged. "What? I get my best ideas when I'm put on the spot! And I'm sure she'll say yes..." Once she finished sketching the main outline of the model's body and her armor, Ruby moved on to the girl's long, flowing red hair, which was tied back into an elegant, crown-like headpiece.. "I was thinking after we get the base sketches done, we could relax at my Dad's house for a little bit and figure out how we're going to put the project together."

"I can bring my tablet," Weiss told her, lowering her pencil, and picking up a fine-point pen. She started to trace over her own outline in ink, giving the drawing a slightly more animated look. "I could upload each of our pieces and do some editing to make our styles appear a little more uniformed... Of course, that's only if you're okay with it."

Ruby considered for this a moment. "Well... How 'bout we just see how they come out before we decide on anything?"

Her friend nodded. "Alright... When do you suppose we should do this?"

"Let me talk to Blake after class, and I'll text you as soon as I get an answer."

"Sounds good." They continued to work on their drawings in silence for the remainder of the class, the art professor walking around and glancing at each of the students' pieces. When she stopped at Weiss's easel, her thin eyebrows shot up in a mixed expression of surprise and curiosity.

"Well, you've certainly got quite the creative interpretation, Miss Schnee," she commented, lifting her thumb and index finger to her chin as she narrowed in on the piece in front of her, which portrayed the model as a spear-wielding warrior, fighting her way through a pit of large snakes as they crawled up her armor-clad legs.

Ruby smirked as Weiss's pale cheeks flooded with color, and she shrunk back in her seat, evidently not used to this type of attention.  _Weird how the heiress to the world-renowned Schnee Electronics Company could be so easily embarrassed by a simple comment from a teacher... She's going to lose her shit when she meets Yang..._

As soon as the professor walked away to another student's easel, Weiss let out a relieved breath, and sat up straight in her stool. "Be honest," she said to Ruby with a halfhearted smile. "How weird is it?"

The younger of the two just gave her an encouraging smile. "It looks awesome. I think Blondie would  _loooove_  it."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Okay, you don't have to tease me."

"Of course I do." She grinned. "Who else is going to do it if I don't?"

The heiress narrowed her eyes. "You know, I  _do_  have an older sister. She's had her fair share of enjoyment at my expense while we were growing up."

Ruby dropped her pencil, and gave the girl an amused look. "Oh? Like what?"

"Yeah, like I'm going to tell you." The school bell sounded through the speakers above them, and students began to clear their easels and pack up their belongings. Weiss was quick to stand from hers, and roll up her drawing, tucking it into the soft gray messenger bag she always carried with her.

"In a hurry?" Ruby asked her as she started to put away her sketching utensils. "Or are you just trying to get away from me to spare yourself even more humiliation?"

Weiss smirked. "For your information, I  _do_  have places to be. I'm an heiress, remember?"

"Yeah, how could I forget? I see your family's name every time I log onto my computer or use my music player," she joked. She finished putting away her belongings, and adjusted her backpack over her shoulder. "Well, I'll catch ya later. I'll let you know what my friend says."

"Thanks, Ruby." Weiss gave her one last smile before leaving the art room, and disappearing down the hall. Ruby walked in the opposite direction toward the building's main entrance, pushing through the doors and out into the warm, early-evening air. She found a yellow-and-black-striped convertible waiting for her in the parking lot on the other side of the campus, and in the driver's seat, her sister lounged back with her arms propped behind her long mane of hair, shiny, silver aviators shielding her eyes even though the sun had already begun to set.

"Blake finally let you leave the studio?" Ruby teased her as she hopped into the passenger's seat, tossing her bag into the back of the car.

Yang just grunted. "What's my rule?"

Ruby gave her a dead-panned look. "Seriously, sis?"

"What's my rule?" the blonde reiterated, glancing at Ruby over the top of her sunglasses.

She sighed. "No talking about work when I'm in your car."

Yang gave her a thumb's up. "Good girl. Let's keep it that way." She leaned forward in her seat, and started the car, slowly pulling out into the student traffic. "So how was your class? Did you draw any nudes yet?"

Ruby grimaced. "Eww, gross! I've already told you, it's not that type of class!"

"I know, I know. If they  _did_  have you drawing nudes, though, Dad would probably pull you out of that class faster than you can  _say_  naked models."

"And Dad would have your tongue if he heard the way you talk half the time."

"Hey! I have an excuse! Ozpin keeps hiring shitty artists!"

Ruby shook her head. "Don't you think you're being a little harsh? I've seen some of those guys' work, and they actually weren't that bad."

"They weren't what I was looking for."

"You mean they weren't Junior."

Yang suddenly tensed at the mention of that name, her jaw visibly clenching as she turned away from Ruby, and back to the busy road before her. "Rule Number Two."

Ruby swallowed. "I'm sorry." She slouched back in her seat, and rested her head against the cool glass of the window, closing her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at her sister's dejected expression any longer. She sat in silence the rest of the way home, afraid that if she opened her mouth, she would just say something else to make things worse. Yang had a hard enough time trusting people as it was, and the last thing Ruby needed was for her big sister to shut her out, too.


	2. The Origin of a Fangirl

As soon as Weiss returned home later that evening, she headed straight for her bedroom on the second floor of her family's manor. She dropped her messenger bag on her bed, and changed out of her pencil skirt and into a more comfortable pair of jeans, letting out a sigh of relief as she was finally out of the public's eye.

At home, in her own bedroom, Weiss was free to dress and behave however she wanted. No one could tell her what to like or what to wear, and most-importantly, she was free to draw panel after panel of fan art for  _Lost & Found _without worrying about her father reprimanding her for not focusing on more "refined" forms of art. Ever since her parents had figured out when Weiss was little that she possessed an artistic talent greater than most, they had both been pushing her to hone her skills, but no one was more invested in Weiss's art than her own father. Every chance he had to step away from the office at Schnee Headquarters, he was on his Scroll with the best artists in the kingdom, setting up meetings with Weiss over video chat to discuss "proper" drawing and painting techniques, or he was booking tours at the local art gallery so Weiss could take in every last piece of information her mind could possibly hold about famous artists and pieces from the past five centuries.

She wasn't even sure what, exactly, her father expected from her. As it was, Weiss was set to inherit her family's company as soon as her father was no longer capable of running it himself, so even if Weiss wanted to pursue any type of artistic career, she would have to give it up anyway the second the Schnee Electronics Company needed her to take over. She had no qualms about running the business, and she already had quite a few ideas about what she would change once it was in her hands, but what she wanted more than anything, at least for now, was to be recognized not as Weiss Schnee, the heiress, but as just Weiss, the graphic artist.

_I wouldn't even know where to begin if I were actually granted that opportunity,_  she thought to herself as she walked over to her desk, and flipped open her laptop. She plugged her tablet into the USB port of her computer, and pulled up the drawing program her father had bought her specifically for school projects and contest entries. Little did he know that she had a hidden folder with at least two hundred fan panels dedicated to  _Lost & Found_ under her saved projects. She had named the folder  _Backup Copies_  just so her father wouldn't bother searching through the images in case Weiss ever accidentally left herself logged in to her computer when her parents did their weekly tidiness check.

Weiss was halfway through sketching an interrogation panel between Yin and the former leader of a terrorist group named Torrez when her Scroll went off inside her messenger bag. She minimized the screen of her drawing program, and rolled back in her desk chair over to her bed, where she picked up her Scroll. She smiled when she saw that she had a new text message from Ruby.

_Hey! Talked 2 Blake & she said we can go watch her & Sun this wknd,_ it read. _They move fast tho so we're going 2 probably hafta bring a camera 2 capture their movements & then work off the shots._

Weiss rolled her eyes at Ruby's terrible shorthand, but now was not the time to tease her about it.  _That works for me,_  she quickly typed back.  _Where and what time should we meet them?_ She went back to her panel while she waited, scrawling on her tablet and editing on her laptop simultaneously. She had almost the entire base outline finished by the time Ruby finally responded.

_Is Sunday 1:00 good 4 u? They'll be doing parkour around the sk8 park downtown._

The heiress bit her lip. She slowly stood from her desk, and carried her Scroll over to the bedroom door, pulling it open just enough to stick her head out into the long, brightly-lit hallway. "Dad!"

"If you want to talk to me, come down here," she heard a low, muffled voice call from the kitchen downstairs.

Weiss sighed, and opened the door the rest of the way, stepping out of her room. She walked down the stairs to the kitchen, finding her father sitting at the island, his face buried in the business section of the daily newspaper, a steaming mug of coffee in his right hand. "Dad?"

"Yes?" he asked, his narrow, royal blue eyes still glued to the paper.

"I was wondering if I could go to the park with a friend on Sunday afternoon," Weiss began, holding her Scroll behind her back. "It's for an art project."

He raised an eyebrow, and glanced up at Weiss. "Oh? What will be the subject of your studies?"

"Parko—um, acrobatics... One of the students in my class has some friends who are involved in acrobatics, and she suggested we sketch some of their movements. I plan on putting them together in a compilation to present to the class about what we learned from studying them."

Her father let out a thoughtful hum. "Which park will you be going to?"

Weiss rocked back on her heels, wondering if she should lie to him, and give him a random location in Vale. She knew if she told him the truth about the skate park, he would become suspicious about the nature of the project. "I'm not sure," she told him instead. "My friend said that it will be in downtown Vale. But I will be sure to stay safe."

"You know downtown can be dangerous," the man said, lowering the newspaper. He gave Weiss a once-over, his upper lip slightly twitching as he realized she had changed out of her school attire. He sighed, and took a long sip of coffee. "As soon as you find out the location, you will tell me where you are, and when you expect to be home. If there are any problems at all, I want you to call me right away, and I'll send for one of our drivers to pick you up."

Weiss nodded. "Yes, of course. Although I don't think there should be any problems."

"I just want you to take extra precautions. There are a lot of idiots in Downtown Vale who will do just about anything to make an extra buck."

"I promise I will be careful," she assured her father. "I won't talk to anyone other than my partner and her friends."

He gave her a small smile. "Then you may go."

She grinned. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." He took another sip of his coffee. "Now, go get changed, and call down your sister. Dinner will be served shortly."

Weiss nodded once more, and she quickly headed back upstairs. As soon as she was back in the privacy of her own room, she returned to her Scroll, only to find another message from Ruby.

_Hello? U there? Well if u don't wanna go..._

Weiss smirked, and shook her head as she quickly typed up a response.  _Sorry about that, I was talking to my father... The skate park on Sunday will be fine. I'll talk to you later, have to eat._

She set her Scroll on her desk, and closed her laptop, leaving the drawing program open so she could return to her panel as soon as she was finished with dinner. She changed back into her skirt even though she hated the way it barely gave her legs enough room to walk comfortably, but it was a reasonable price for her father's permission to hang out with Ruby and her friends that weekend. Before heading back downstairs, she stopped at her sister's bedroom door, and gave it a light knock.

"Winter? Dad wants us to come down for dinner."

Shuffling sounded from inside the room, and a moment later, the door was opening to a taller, more mature version of Weiss. Her sister looked down at her with kind, dark blue eyes. "Thanks, Weissy. Let's go, shall we?"

Weiss smiled up at her sister. "You seem pretty chipper."

"As do you." They began walking down the hall and toward the staircase. "Is there a special occasion?"

"Not really," the younger Schnee said. "I'm just excited to begin working on this art project this weekend with a friend."

Winter furrowed her eyebrows. "Oh? A friend?"

Weiss shrugged. "She's a student in my class. We've been working on most of our art projects together, lately, and she came up with the idea for the one we'll be working on this weekend..."

"What's the subject?" The two headed downstairs to the dining room, where their father had since moved to the table, coffee mug and newspaper still in his hands.

"Acrobatics," Weiss told her as they took their seats at the table. Their father finally lowered his newspaper, and gave them both a pleasant smile.

"Ah, still talking about that?" he said to Weiss.

Her face reddened. "Well, uh, yeah, I'm just looking forward to it. It's going to be different from most of the projects we're usually assigned."  _You can only draw still life so many times before it becomes boring..._

"That's great to hear, but how about we save this discussion for after dinner, alright?"

Weiss nodded. "Of course."

A man dressed in black slacks and a white vest entered the dining room with a covered tray of food. He greeted each of them with a smile as he set the tray at the end of the table, and lifted the lid to reveal three meals of turkey, mashed potatoes, and greens. Once they each had a plate set in front of them, the room fell silent, the only sounds clinking of silverware as they dug into their meals.

Once Weiss had finished the majority of her dinner, she set down her fork, and glanced up at her father. "So have you heard from Mom?"

"I have," he answered simply, lifting his gaze from his plate. "She should be home from her business trip by Monday afternoon... Winter?"

His eldest daughter raised her head. "Yes, Father?"

"Jim would like to see you at the office tonight. He said he would like to go over last month's financial history."

Winter gave him a short nod, and Weiss couldn't help but notice the way her sister's face lit up at the mention of Jim's name. "I'll head over after dinner."

"Very well." He sat back in his chair, and let out a content sigh. "I'm so glad that both of my girls are actively involved with the company. I know it's difficult not being my heiress anymore, Winter, but your position in Finances is just as important."

Weiss lowered her gaze to what little remained of her food. Ever since her father had taken away Winter's title and passed it on to Weiss, she felt guilty every time either of her parents felt the need to bring it up. She knew Winter wanted to be in charge more than anything, and it would've made Weiss's art career so much more promising had it worked out that way. But after one minor mistake had caused her sister bad publicity a little over a year ago, their father had been intent on keeping Winter out of the spotlight, and he had given her a less-than-satisfiable job at the SEC branch in Vale that Weiss knew Winter wasn't particularly fond of. It wasn't that she hated the position, she just longed for so much more.

"I know that, Father," Winter said with a small smile. "I'm grateful for it, too. The people there have been nothing but accommodating."

"As should all of my employees be."

Winter cleared her throat, and started to stand. "I should be leaving, now." She picked up her dishes, and stepped back from the table. "I'll tell you how the meeting goes."

"Have a good night," their father said just as Winter began to walk away. She disappeared into the kitchen with her dishes still in hand, and a few moments later, presumably after she had dumped the dishes, Weiss heard the front door being opened and closed. Once her sister had left, Weiss also pushed back in her chair.

"Thank you for dinner. I'm going to go work on some assignments."

Her father smiled. "Don't stay up too late."

"I won't." Weiss carried her dishes to the kitchen, where she set them on the counter by the sink. She greeted the kitchen attendant before heading back upstairs to her room, and sinking down into her desk chair. She leaned back, and stared up at the ceiling for what seemed like a lifetime, a thousand thoughts seeming to roll around in her head. When her eyes began to burn, Weiss rapidly blinked moisture back into them, and she sat forward in her chair, finally turning to her computer screen. She saved the panel she had been working on before dinner, and opened up a blank canvas, a smirk rising at the corners of her lips as she slowly began to draw a round, familiar, friendly face.

_It's a good thing Winter won't see this... She'd kill me._  After about an hour of sketching and fooling around with different clothing and hairstyles, she finally saved the picture, labeling it  _Jim_. She exited out of her program, and pulled up her internet browser, locating her bookmarked pages, and clicking on the first one listed. She grinned when she saw the Beacon logo appear in the corner of her screen, the rest of the page coming to life in the formation of a comic book panel accentuated with dark shades of blacks, grays, and yellows.

She'd read the same panel at least twenty times since the first time she'd come across it by accident three years earlier. She had been searching hard-boiled and noir fiction for an assignment in her Literature class when she was directed to the Beacon Comics homepage which featured an article about its newest title,  _Lost & Found_, written by a mysterious author named Blondie, and illustrated by a man named Hei Xiong II. Curiosity had gotten the best of her, and she had read a preview of the first issue that was posted on the site, and almost instantly, she was hooked. It was the first time Weiss had ever read a comic aside from the cheesy, generic strips that appeared in every Sunday morning paper, and something about Hei Xiong's use of murky hues and shadowy figures to paint the mood of a scene had really grasped Weiss's attention. But it wasn't until she read the little blurbs and text boxes scattered throughout each panel that she knew her perspective on comics had been changed forever.

_This was the first and last place that I had ever seen_ _ **her**_ _,_  the first words read, scrawled in yellow across a thick, black city skyline.  _She was just a young woman at the time, and I, not much older than four, but even as a child, I could tell that there was something_ _ **off**_ _about her—the way her skin wrinkled unnaturally for someone with such a thin build, and the way her eyes stared at me with the dullest of expressions, as if she didn't even recognize me—her own_ _ **son**_ _._

The panel cut to a long, shadowy figure standing at the edge of a white, shimmery lake, a golden crescent moon reflecting in its surface.  _Up until now, I didn't bother to give the woman a second thought. She was just a_ _ **stranger**_ _to me, and I to her, but now... now she's the only_ _ **family**_ _I have_ _ **left**_ _._

Weiss drew in a deep breath, and scrolled to the bottom of the page where the panel ended. Underneath it was a single hyperlink, highlighted in blue. She clicked on it, and was brought to yet another site she found herself frequently visiting. It was a forum created specifically for the  _Lost & Found_ fandom to discuss their thoughts, theories, and ideas about the title, its characters, plots, and the creators themselves. A new thread title caught her attention almost immediately, and as she clicked on it, she felt her heart jump into her throat.

_Another one bites the dust – Blondie loses yet another artist._  Weiss began skimming the text of the original post, but most of it was just speculation about the number of artists who had been coming and going from the  _Lost & Found_ title in the past couple of months. It was public knowledge that Hei Xiong had left Beacon Comics a little less than a year ago after signing with a rival comic company, and since then, Blondie had been having a difficult time keeping a single artist on the title. Most of the users in the thread had begun to debate whether the artists had been fired or if they had walked out on their own terms. Those who believed that they had been fired also believed that Blondie was just going through a funk after losing Hei Xiong, but those who believed that the artists had quit were saying that Blondie was incompetent, and that it was Blondie's fault Hei Xiong had left in the first place.

Weiss sighed.  _It must be difficult to be a writer_ , she thought to herself as she continued to read through the replies, wondering if Blondie himself had been reading the posts. Weiss didn't care about the reasoning behind the artist's departure; all she cared about was her favorite title, and what would happen to it if Blondie didn't find someone he could work well with soon.

She closed out of her browser, and walked over to her bed, letting out an exasperated breath as she plopped down on the thick mattress piled high with blankets and sheets. She grabbed her Scroll, and composed a new message to Ruby, the only person she knew she could talk to about this stuff.

_Blondie lost another artist..._

Ruby replied a few minutes later, while Weiss was still lost in her own thoughts.  _Yah I know,_  it read, followed by a frowning face.

_I don't know what I'll do if the title just ends... Is it dumb that I'm thinking too much about this?_

She smirked at Ruby's next response.  _Yes ur a geek... But nah, ur fine. And the title will b fine. Blondie isn't 1 to just quit._

Weiss bit her lip.  _How do you know?_

_I just_ _do... Now stop stressing. Go stuff urself with ice cream or sumthin._

Weiss rolled her eyes, and sat up in bed.  _All that will do is make me fat._

_Shut up ur not fat. If I was there, I'd smack you 4 saying that._

She laughed.  _I'd like to see you try._ She leaned back against her pillows, and closed her eyes for a little while, trying to relax and unwind. What was she so stressed for?  _Lost & Found_ was just a book. It wasn't like any of the characters were real... But then why did they feel that way to Weiss? Yin was such a strong, yet flawed character, and sometimes, when she was reading Yin's inner dialogue, she felt as though she was getting a peek into Blondie's mind. She didn't know anything about the writer other than that he went by the pen-name Blondie, and that he had a tendency to dodge the media. Weiss didn't even know how old he was, where he was from, how he got his start, and she wasn't even sure if Blondie actually was a  _he_. She just assumed, like everybody else, because she had absolutely nothing else to go off of.

Ruby finally texted back after a large gap of time had passed, and Weiss had already showered and changed into her pajamas for the night. She was just about to turn off her Scroll and go to bed when the device buzzed, and the screen lit up with the familiar envelope icon.

_Sry bout that, had 2 help Dad with sumthin... G2g, see u tomorrow._

Weiss smiled.  _Good night, Ruby,_  she typed, sending one final message before turning off her Scroll, and slipping under her sheets. She reached for the lamp on her nightstand, flipped the switch, and stared into the darkness of her bedroom until her eyelids became heavy, and she finally drifted off to sleep.


	3. Writer's Block

_INT._ _YIN's apartment, night. A full moon can be seen shining in through the living room's large bay window, silhouetting BLAZE CITY in the dark. A male figure can be seen slouching against the windowsill, a lit cigarette hanging from his lips._

_SHADOWY FIGURE_

_I know what you're trying to do._

_A speech bubble can be seen at the far left of the frame, but the owner of the voice cannot yet be seen. It can be assumed the other speech belongs to YIN._

_VOICE 2 (YIN)_

_Enlighten me._

_A new frame zooms in on the shadowy figure's face, revealing a pair of_ _maroon eyes. His expression is tired, but serious._

_SHADOWY FIGURE_

_There's a reason each answer you receive ends up leading you to yet another question. Ever think that the person you're looking for doesn't want to be found?_

_A third frame shows YIN finally stepping into the room, his own expression remaining stoic._

_YIN_

_I'm not an idiot. I've_ _**known** _ _ever since I begun my search that this wasn't going to be an easy task. What I want to know is what any of this has to do with you._

_FIGURE_

_It has little to do with me, and **everything**  to do with you, Shì Qù. You see, I know  **exactly**  who you're searching for, and where you can find her._

Yang scowled at the piece of text-filled notebook paper in front of her, and she quickly ripped it out before crumpling it into a ball, and chucking it at the growing pile of paper wads at the foot of her trash bin. She let out a groan as she slumped back in her desk chair, and glanced up at her clock.

"Too fucking cliché, Xiao Long," she muttered to herself. "And the dialogue sucks ass."

A knock sounded from the other side of the closed studio door, and Yang lazily spun around in her chair to see who it was. A large, black bow appeared in the glass window of the door, tied into the dark hair of her assistant.

"Come in," Yang said, reaching up to tighten to the droopy, messy bun that her long, golden locks were tied into. As much as she hated wearing her hair up, it was almost impossible to write with it down, her shaggy curls always hanging in her face and blocking her view.

Blake pushed through the door, and set a tall glass of iced coffee on the desk in front of the blonde. "How's the writing going?"

"Don't even ask," Yang responded robotically, pushing herself back and forth in her chair with the heel of her sneaker.

"Let me guess," the darker girl started, crossing her arms over her chest. "You're still in a slump about finding an artist, and now you can't focus on your writing."

Yang rolled her eyes. "How ever did you guess?"

Blake just smirked. "Well, maybe you should leave the studio and get a little fresh air. Sun and I are going to the skate park to do some parkour later, and Ruby and a friend from school will be accompanying us."

"As much fun as that sounds, I really have a lot of work to do. Ozpin doesn't care if I'm in a slump, he still expects me to get this script done by next week's deadline, with or without an artist to draw it."

"Come on, a few hours of downtime isn't going to kill you," her assistant urged. "And I'm sure Ruby would appreciate it if you came to meet her friend."

Yang grunted. "So you're going to guilt me into going?"

"If it works." Blake gave her a knowing smile. "She misses hanging out with you. Why do you think she comes down to the studio all the time, even though she knows you're almost always in a bad mood?"

"I am  _not_  always in a bad mood." Yang sighed. "But fine, you're right. I'll go, but  _only_  for my sister."

Blake grinned, and culled a folded piece of paper out of her back pocket. "Great, then you're going to need this."

The blonde furrowed her eyebrows as she took the piece of paper, and carefully unfolded it. She immediately recognized the slanted handwriting as Ruby's, but the number and address that were scrawled across it were completely foreign.  _355 White Castle Lane,_ _Upper Vale._  "What am I supposed to do with this?"

"That's Ruby's friend's address. You get to pick her up, since you have the nicer car."

Yang narrowed her eyes at the other girl. "Is this a  _set-up_ , Blake?"

"Of course not," she said, lowering her arms to her sides. "I just don't think Ol' Rusty would be able to make the trip."

"Fine, fine. I'll get the girl." Yang stretched her arms above her head as she let out a yawn. "So when do I have to get her? And please tell me Ruby's coming with."

Blake nodded. "Your dad's dropping Ruby off here in about a half-hour, and then you two can go pick up her friend. Plan on meeting me and Sun at the skate park around one."

"Will do." She glanced up at the bow on the darker girl's head. "Are you going to keep those hidden this afternoon?"

"I..." Her assistant frowned. "Ruby's friend is a Schnee, which means there's a good chance she's a rich snob like those other people in Upper Vale... I don't want her thinking I'm after her money just because I'm a Faunus."

Yang gave her a sympathetic smile. "Not everyone's like that, Blake. But I see it as kind of pointless trying to hide your ears when you'll be running around with the monkey-boy. If she accepts him, she'll accept you."

Blake bit her lip. "Still, I just want to play it safe. At least until we've gotten to know this girl better... For Ruby's sake."

"Okay. For Ruby's sake." She sucked in a deep breath, and pushed herself up to her feet, standing a good few inches above the other girl, even though Blake's bow—and ears—more than made up for the difference in height. Yang smirked.

"What?" Blake asked, her amber eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Oh, nothing," Yang said, her smile widening. "Just that I'm always going to enjoy being taller than you."

Blake rolled her eyes. "I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

Yang shrugged. "What can I say? My assistant is a miracle worker."

"Of course I am. I have to put up with you all day." She poked Yang in the shoulder, and gave her a catty grin. "Well, anyway, I'm going to go meet Sun so we can warm up for a bit... If you need anything, just give me a call."

"Gotcha, Blakey." Yang watched as her friend walked away, and as soon as she was alone in her office once more, she sunk back in her chair, and picked up the iced coffee that Blake had set down just a few minutes earlier. She lifted it to her lips, and let out a content sigh as she sipped the cool beverage.  _Yep, definitely a miracle worker._

* * *

A little more than a half-hour later, Yang found herself slightly agape as she drove up to a huge, white and gray estate that was surrounded by the greenest pine trees the blonde had ever seen in her life. She stopped at a large, steel gate at the driveway's entrance, and stuck her hand out the window of her sports car to ring the buzzer on the side of the gate.

"Schnee Residence, how may I assist you?" a polite, professional voice answered over the built-in speaker just a moment later.

Yang leaned further out the window to get better access to the speaker, and she cleared her throat, trying to make herself sound as professional as the other man did. "Hello, I'm here to pick up a Miss Schnee? She and my sister have an art project to work on together this afternoon."

"Ah, yes. Just one moment, Miss Rose."

 _It's Xiao Long_ , Yang thought, glancing at Ruby in the passenger's seat beside her, who was watching her, amused.

"Since when are you all nice and proper?" the younger girl teased her.

Yang drew back inside of the car just as the front gate began to open. "I don't want your friend to think you get your attitude from your Big Sis, is all."

Ruby gave her a mock-hurt expression. "Whatever are you talking about? I'm a perfect little angel."

The blonde slowly pressed forward on the gas, ruffling Ruby's short, red-tinted hair with her right hand as she kept the other on the wheel. "Nah, you're a good kid, Rubes."

Her sister grinned up at her. "Thanks, Yang."

They continued up the long driveway toward the estate, and Yang only stopped when she saw a petite, white-haired girl who looked to be about a year younger than her standing outside of the front door. Her bright, blue eyes widened as she noticed the car, and she gave both Ruby and Yang a timid smile as she walked toward them.

Yang studied the girl curiously as she drew closer to the vehicle, her features becoming more distinct with each step she took. Her long hair was tied up into a side-ponytail that hung behind her right shoulder, swinging from side-to-side as she walked, and she carried herself with a practiced elegance, her head held high and her back straight even though Yang could tell from where she was sitting that the girl didn't appear particularly comfortable. It wasn't until she was just a couple of feet from the car, though, that Yang noticed a thin, pinkish scar that started at the center of her left eyebrow, covered both of her eyelids, and ended just above her pale cheekbone.

 _That looks like an interesting story..._  she thought to herself just as the girl opened the right-side door, and sat down behind Ruby in the backseat.

"Hey, Weiss!" Ruby greeted her, turning around in her seat to get a better look at the heiress.

"Hello, Ruby," she responded with a smile. Yang pulled away from the estate, but found herself glancing up at the pale girl every so often through the rear-view mirror. As soon as Yang turned onto the main road, Weiss let out a deep breath, and slouched back in her seat. Yang raised an eyebrow, but didn't question the girl's sudden change in posture.

Ruby smirked. "You're wearing that to the skate park?"

Weiss bit her lip. "Well, I didn't exactly tell my father  _which_  park we were going to... I didn't want him to get suspicious." She met Yang's gaze through the mirror, and gave her a soft smile. "You must be Blake."

Yang blinked, and instantly turned her gaze back toward the street. "No, um, we won't be meeting her until we get to the park... I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister."

"Oh." She cleared her throat. "Well, then, it's nice to meet you, Yang."

"Yeah, you, too."

Ruby tapped her fingers against the armrest on her door. "Did you bring anything to change into? We're going to be moving around a lot, and those heels don't exactly look comfortable to run in."

"I've got some jeans and sneakers in my bag. Don't worry."

"Okay, cool... How come your dad would get suspicious if he found out you were going to the skate park? He knows it's just for a project, right?"

Yang glanced at Weiss again, curious to hear her response. "He doesn't know about the panels I've been working on... He thinks all of my art is purely refined and recreational."

Ruby nodded, and let out a thoughtful hum. "So... how does he feel about your comic book obsession?"

Yang raised an eyebrow.  _The heiress reads comics?_

Weiss smirked. "Yeah, like I'd really tell him that I've been spending all of my free time drawing fan comics instead of focusing on my business and art studies."

_Fan comics?_

Ruby nudged Yang in the side, giving her a knowing look. The blonde just shrugged her off, and kept her attention on the road, pretending not to be interested in hers and Weiss's conversation.

"Speaking of that, how did your trip to the gallery with your dad go yesterday?" her sister asked Weiss, and Yang couldn't make up her mind if she was relieved or disappointed that Ruby decided to change the subject.

"It went as expected," the heiress replied simply. "My father raved about all of the classic artists and had me look at a lot of still life and generic portraits... They were all very well-done, of course, but nothing particularly interesting or imaginative."

"I kind of like the classic stuff," Ruby told her. "You don't see a lot of clean pencil or charcoal sketches nowadays... I mean, you're practically married to your ink and tablet."

Weiss clicked her tongue. "While I  _do_  appreciate the classics, and I agree that I wouldn't be where I am now if I hadn't taken the time to learn about them, I just find more alternative styles much more appealing... You, Ruby, have a classic hand, but your subjects are more modern and stylstic, which is why I don't mind working with you."

Ruby leaned back in her seat. "Well, I'm glad you think so highly of me," she joked.

"So, is this what you guys do all day at school?" Yang interjected once she felt that both girls were near the end of their conversation.

"Well, yeah, it's an  _art_  school," Ruby said. "I mean, the place is called  _Brush_ well."

Yang turned to look at her sister. "No, I mean do you guys always debate like this?"

"Oh." Ruby crinkled her nose in thought. "We're not really debating, we're just expressing our opinions... But yeah, we do talk about different art styles a lot. Weiss is the one who got me to try some more modern techniques, kind of like the ones Ju—you know what, never mind."

Yang immediately tensed as soon as she realized her sister was about to mention  _his_  name. But instead of lecturing her about it, she kept her mouth shut, not wanting to make the car ride even more awkward for Weiss than she probably thought it already was.

"Am I missing something?" the heiress asked after a moment, meeting Yang's gaze once more.

She sucked in a deep breath. "Oh, no, nothing."

Weiss furrowed her eyebrows, and turned back to Ruby. "What were you going to say?"

"I was just saying that you're the one who taught me those techniques." Ruby shrugged, and directed her attention to her window. "Oh, hey, we're almost at the skate park!"

A relieved smile formed at the corners of Yang's lips as she recognized the old, tall apartments and businesses of downtown Vale coming into view on either side of the street. Various humans and Faunus walked, biked, and skated along the sidewalks, some in bigger groups while others traveled alone. An elderly man with spiky, gray hair and narrow eyes looked up from the vegetable stand he was tending as Yang drove by, and he gave her a friendly wave. Yang smiled, and honked her horn, returning the wave as she continued down the street.

"Do you know him?" Weiss asked her.

"Our dad has been buying vegetables from him since we were toddlers," Yang explained, keeping her gaze forward. "He also owns a hardware store and convenience shop just down the block."

Weiss's eyes widened. "That's quite a few businesses to be running all at once."

"Well, he doesn't do it  _all_  by himself," Ruby said. "He has family and staff who look after the other businesses while he's tending one." She chuckled. "Can you imagine having to run it all himself? He'd need like ten clones."

"I could probably draw that up..." the heiress murmured, and Yang noticed that she was still looking out the window, taking in the bustling scenery.

"You totally should!" Ruby exclaimed. She turned to Yang with a grin. "Weiss turned her portrait of our class model, Pyrrha, into a warrior fighting snakes the other day. It was  _so_  cool!"

Yang smirked. "That's interesting..."

"Ruby, I'm sure she doesn't care about my art," Weiss said timidly, having returned her attention to the front of the vehicle.

"You'd be surprised," the younger of the two said. "I catch her looking through my projects all the time..."

The blonde smiled at her sister. "And you're getting better each day, Rubes."

Ruby beamed proudly up at her. "Thanks, sis. That means a lot."

"No problemo." The car fell silent for a few moments, but it was a peaceful silence as each girl seemed content to be lost in her own thoughts. After a while, the tall buildings started to become more scarce, and soon, Yang could see the long, deep curve of a half-pipe coming into view. She slowed the car as she turned into a gravely parking lot, and stopped the car right beside Blake's beat-up sedan. "We're here," she announced.

"Yes!" Ruby immediately unbuckled, and dove out of her seat and into the parking lot, not even bothering to close the door as she reached for the one directly behind her, and yanked it open. She offered her hand to Weiss. "Come on, Weiss! I want you to meet Blake and Sun!"

Weiss gave her a small smile, and took her time unbuckling and getting out of the car. She glanced around the skate park, seeming to take in the sight as her eyes scanned the crowds of skaters and bikers riding the rails and sidewalks nearby.

Ruby turned back to Yang. "Aren't you coming?"

The older girl nodded. "Of course. Just give me a sec to make sure my baby's secure, and I'll meet you guys down there."

Her sister rolled her eyes. "You  _do_  know it's just a car, right?"

Yang feigned a hurt expression. "Do you know how many grueling writing sessions and arguments with Ozpin I had to endure to finally be able to pay for this gem?"

"I know, I know," Ruby said, grabbing Weiss by the wrist and giving her a gentle tug. "You work hard, I get it. But you're still a dork."

She chuckled. "Where do you think you get it from?" She unbuckled her seat-belt, and reached over the passenger's seat to close the door that her sister had opened. "Go on, tell Blake I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okeydokey, but hurry up." She turned to Weiss. "Let's go find a bathroom where you can change, and then we'll go meet up with my friends."

Weiss just nodded, giving Yang a grateful smile before she allowed Ruby to lead her into the park. As soon as their figures were no longer recognizable in the distance, Yang leaned back in her seat, and let out a short huff.

 _So she's a comics fan, eh?_  She closed her eyes for a moment, relaxing her muscles as she pondered this small, yet admittedly interesting detail about her sister's new friend. If she was as much of a fan as Ruby claimed her to be, did that mean that Weiss knew about  _Lost & Found_, and if so, just how much did she know about the person behind the paper? Yang decided that she had to play it safe, at least for now, because the last thing she needed was for Ruby's new friend to be following her around like a crazed fangirl.  _Although it wouldn't necessarily be the worst thing in the world,_  she thought to herself with a hum. _She's a lot cuter than those creepy men and pimply preteens who usually hang around the comic book stores and hobby shops in Vale._

She sat up in her seat, and lifted her hands to the top of her head, sliding the aviators she'd had pinned in her hair down over her lilac eyes. "Alright. Let's do this, Xiao Long."


	4. Skate Park-our

"Ruby, slow down! You're going to rip my arm off!"

The young brunette didn't seem to hear Weiss's pleas as she continued to lead the heiress through the skate park at a half-walk, half-run pace, dodging groups of people on skateboards and bicycles as they passed. Ruby didn't stop until they had finally reached the restrooms, and Weiss had to catch her breath before heading inside.

She quickly changed out of the skirt and heels that her father insisted she wear in public, and stuffed them into her messenger bag before pulling on a pair of comfortable jeans and some sneakers. She met Ruby outside, and the two walked—slowly—back toward the half-pipe where Ruby had apparently told Blake they'd meet up.

"So, can I ask you something?" Weiss said to Ruby as they continued through the park.

Her friend shrugged. "That depends. Is it about my sister?"

Weiss bit her lip. "Well, um, kind of..." It had been bothering her ever since they left the car that Yang had not only mentioned working for Ozpin, presumably of Beacon Comics, but also that she seemed to be a writer of some sort. If the blonde really worked at Beacon Comics, did that mean she knew who Blondie was, and would be willing to introduce him to Weiss?

"Ask away," Ruby decided after a moment. "But just because you ask, doesn't mean I can give you an answer."

 _Point taken..._  Weiss exhaled. "Your sister mentioned something about working for Ozpin? Is that the same one who runs Beacon Comics in Vale?"

Ruby smirked. "I was wondering if you'd caught that... Yeah, she works for him. If you want to know what she does, though, you'll have to ask her. She doesn't like it when other people talk about her job, even me."

The paler girl nodded. "Do you think she'd be able to introduce me to Blondie?"

At that, her friend just laughed. "You'll have to ask her that, too." She reached for Weiss's wrist again. "Come on, Blake and Sun are right over there."

Weiss followed her to the half-pipe, which was considerably packed given the time of day. She'd figured most people would still be out eating lunch by then, but that apparently didn't apply to the skaters.

Among the crowd were a boy and a girl leaning against the back curve of the half-pipe, looking out over the rest of the skate park as they chatted with each other. The girl was maybe a couple of inches shorter than Yang, with long, jet black hair that was tied into a matching black bow, and she was wearing a black denim vest with a frayed hem over a plain, white tank-top and light blue denim shorts. The boy was even taller than the girl, with thick, messy blonde hair that hung loosely in his dark gray eyes, and he wore a white sports jacket with red sleeves that were pushed up just below his elbows, the jacket hanging open to reveal his tan, toned abs and stomach. The right sleeve of the jacket had a patch on the shoulder with the word  _Vale_  printed across it in large bubble letters, though Weiss didn't recognize the colors as any local school's colors, so she wondered if the jacket had been custom-made. The most definable feature of the boy, though, was the long, yellow monkey tail that stuck out from the back of his blue jeans, and waved around freely as though it had a mind of its own.

"Blake! Sun!"

The duo directed their attention to Ruby and Weiss, the girl offering a sheepish smile while the boy's face broke into a huge, toothy grin. They pushed off from the back of the half-pipe, and started walking toward the two girls. The boy outstretched his hand, and Ruby eagerly high-fived it.

"Sup, Rose?" he said as he pulled back.

"Ah, you know, just the usual." She turned to Blake. "How long ya been here?"

"A little less than an hour," the darker girl said. She nodded at Weiss. "Hi, I'm Blake. You must be Ruby's friend."

Weiss smiled, glad to finally be acknowledged. She offered Blake her hand. "I'm Weiss. It's nice to meet you."

Blake took her hand with an amused smile. "Are you always this polite?"

The heiress felt her face flush. "I, um..."

"Don't worry, she's just picking on you," Ruby told her.

"Right." Weiss withdrew her hand, and folded her arms self-consciously behind her back. "So, you two do parkour?"

"That's right, Ice Queen," Sun replied, giving her a double thumbs-up. He let out a hesitant laugh. "It's okay if I call you that, right? All of the blue and white reminds me of snow, so..."

Weiss had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. For as long as she could remember, people had always been comparing Weiss and the Schnee family to ice or snow. It probably had something to do with the fact that the logo for the Schnee Electronics Company was a snowflake that her great grandfather had designed decades ago, and that a majority of her family was born and raised in Atlas, the kingdom known for its cold, yet beautiful, winters. So naturally, Weiss had been hearing nicknames like "Snow Angel" or "Ice Queen" all her life, and while it didn't really bother her that much, it sometimes made her wonder if anyone really  _cared_  that she had a proper first name.

Sun was becoming noticeably anxious at the heiress's lack of an answer, and he had resorted to resting one of his hands behind his head, his grin slowly beginning to fade. "If you don't like—"

"It's fine," Weiss said suddenly, giving him a small smile. "And it's nice to meet you."

The boy let out a breath of relief, and lowered his hand. "Blake told me you guys want to use us as the subjects for your next art assignment?"

"Well, yeah!" Ruby interjected. "I mean, you're both so good, and Weiss is great at action poses, and I'm just starting to get better at mine, so I figured why not mix it up a little and do something  _cool_  with our art instead of those boring still-lifes we're always doing?"

 _So I'm not the_ only _one who thinks they're boring..._ Weiss furrowed her eyebrows as she realized that was someone else was still missing from the group. "Hey, Ruby, didn't your sister say she was going to meet up with us?"

The younger girl blinked. "Oh yeah, she did say that... I'm sure she'll be here soon, unless she chickened out."

Weiss frowned. "Why would she chicken out? It's not like she's the one we're drawing."

Blake cleared her throat. "Yang's kind of had a long week. She hasn't exactly been in the best mood for interacting with others, lately."

"She seemed fine in the car," Weiss said, turning her gaze back toward the parking lot. She couldn't get a good look at any of the vehicles through the mass of people that were moving about, but something, maybe even a gut instinct, told Weiss that the blonde was still around the park, somewhere.

"Just give her another couple of minutes. If she doesn't show up, I'll give her a call." Blake started walking back toward the half-pipe, and the other three followed quickly behind. She stopped at a black bag that was laying on the ground beneath the curve of the pipe. She picked it up, and slung it over her shoulder. "For now, let's go somewhere less... congested."

"There are some low rooftops over in the old development on the other side of the park that's usually abandoned on weekends," Sun suggested. "It'll be a good place to practice without anyone getting in our way, and you guys should have plenty of room to shoot."

Blake patted her bag. "I've got my camera in here. You two can use it while Sun and I are in action." Ruby started to reach for it, but Blake quickly snatched it back. " _But_  if you break it, you're buying me a new one."

"Aww, don't you trust me, Blakey?" Ruby pouted, getting a chuckle out of Sun. He turned to Blake and mimicked Ruby's abandoned-puppy look.

"Yeah, don't you trust her, Blakey?"

She rolled her eyes. "Remind me again why I put up with you two?"

"Because you love us," Sun and Ruby said in unison, and Weiss just looked between the two of them in confusion.

 _Do they...? No..._  She gave the three a hesitant smile. "When should we head up to the development? Do you want to still wait for Yang, or should we get a head-start right now?"

Blake retrieved her Scroll from her bag, and glanced at the screen. "We can wait three more minutes. If she doesn't show up, I'll have you, Sun, and Ruby head up, and I'll try to track her down to see what's going on."

Weiss nodded. The four settled back against the half-pipe, an awkward silence passing between them as they waited for their blonde companion to arrive. Weiss tried to find something to focus her attention on so her anxiety didn't start to show through, but she kept finding herself drawn back to Sun's tail, its slow and fluid movements having almost a hypnotic effect on the girl. It wasn't like she hadn't seen a Faunus before—quite a few of her classmates were Faunus, as were some of her father's employees, including Jim, but most of them were well-mannered and it was evident that they went out of their ways to make sure they didn't give Humans a reason to belittle them. Sun, on the other hand, didn't seem to care what other people thought about him, and Weiss found it refreshing, if not perhaps a little intimidating.

She also wasn't used to being around this many people in such a casual setting. Even when she was in school, Weiss tried to present herself with the utmost class, if only because she knew one little slip-up would be enough to set her father off for days. Most people knew Weiss as the Heiress, the girl with the wallet who could get whatever she wanted if she just asked, but Ruby, and now Yang, were the only two people who actually knew what Weiss  _really_  wanted, and that was to be a panelist, and to become the next Hei Xiong II. Okay, so Yang didn't know that last part, but it wasn't like they'd had much time to talk about it, especially considering the sisters seemed to immediately deflect every conversation that had anything to do with comics.

At the end of the day, not many people knew the  _real_  Weiss. This was probably the first time ever that the heiress had actually left home feeling free from her father's watchful eyes, and being around Ruby, Blake, and Sun, people she assumed wouldn't judge her, was probably the most satisfying feeling she'd ever felt.

"So what do you two do?" she asked the pair after a few moments. "I mean, when you're not doing parkour."

Blake smirked. "Would you believe it if I told you I'm basically Yang's babysitter?"

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "What do you—"

"Hey, is that any way to talk about your boss?"

Both girls turned toward the park's entrance to see the tall blonde pushing through a crowd of people, her eyes hidden behind a pair of aviators, and a playful grin playing on her lips.

"I'm her assistant," Blake elaborated as soon as Yang had reached the half-pipe. She lightly elbowed the taller girl in the side. "Which is practically the same thing as a babysitter. I make sure she doesn't piss anyone off, and that she gets all of her work done on time."

Yang's eyebrows furrowed, but her smile didn't fade. "Hey now, Blakey, don't scare away my sister's friend before she even gets the chance to form her own opinion of me." She turned to Weiss. "I promise you I'm not that bad. Work just sometimes brings out the worst in me."

Weiss gave her a sheepish nod. "Yeah... My father can be that way sometimes, so I completely understand... He's a good guy, though."

"Ah, right, Mr. Technology." She chuckled. "Anyway, what are we standing around here for? Don't you four have something to do?"

Ruby snapped her fingers. "Right, the project!" She reached for Blake's bag again, but didn't grab it. "Can I have the camera now?"

Blake let out an exaggerated sigh, and pulled out an expensive-looking video camera with the name  _B._ _B_ _elladonna_  stitched into the strap. "Just remember, if you break it, I know where you live."

"Your faith is me is unwavering," Ruby said flatly, taking the camera, and turning it slowly in her hands to examine each part. "Alright, now that we're all here, let's go. Sun and Blake, lead the way!"

The five of them started to walk away from the park, and down a small path that led to the development. Ruby had already turned on the camera, and was recording Blake's and Sun's backs as they followed the pair. She panned over to Weiss so the lens was right in the heiress's face.

"So, Weiss! What do you think of the skate park?"

Weiss shrugged, and offered the girl a timid smile. "It's a lot more crowded than I expected it to be... But it seems nice. Definitely a lot of diversity among the citizens."

Ruby aimed the camera at Blake's and Sun's backs once more. "Yeah, downtown Vale is cool like that. Lots of interesting people that you wouldn't really find in the other parts of town."

Sun glanced back at them, and grinned into the camera. "We also have the best hang-outs. Ever been to the zoo, Ice Queen?"

"Ice Queen?" Yang questioned as she slowly kept up with the rest of the group, lagging just a couple of feet behind Weiss and Ruby. She had her arms crossed in front of her chest, her hips swaying just slightly in rhythm with her steps.

"It's the nickname I gave her," Sun explained.

The blonde girl smirked. "Very original, monkey boy."

"Says the girl whose pen-name is Bl—"

Blake suddenly turned around, and slapped a hand over the boy's mouth, not allowing him to finish his sentence. She whispered something to Sun that Weiss couldn't hear, but the way her amber eyes darted between Weiss and Yang made the heiress feel slightly uneasy, as though everyone was purposely keeping some huge secret from her. She understood that she was still the odd one out from the group, having just met Yang, Blake, and Sun that day, but she couldn't help but feel like she didn't belong.

Ruby shut off the camera, and lowered it to her side. "Hey, Weiss, you okay?"

Weiss glanced up at her friend—the  _only_  one she could openly consider her friend—and nodded. "Yes, of course. I'm still just taking it all in."

"Okay." She smiled. "Well, anyway, we're almost there. Then we can finally get to work, and maybe you'll feel a little more comfortable doing something you're used to."

"I'm sure I will."

Blake dropped her hand from Sun's mouth, and the boy turned his attention back to Weiss. "So you didn't answer my question. Vale City Zoo. Ever been there?"

"Yes, when I was a kid." She furrowed her eyebrows. "Why do you ask?"

His face lit up. "I bet you don't know about the Secret Place."

"No, I guess I don't."

Sun lifted his hands behind his head, and began to walk backwards as the development came into view. "Well, then, we might just have to take you there someday... That is, if you're still up for hanging out with us geeks."

Weiss gave him a grateful smile. "I may not seem like it, but I can be kind of geek sometimes, too..."

Ruby snorted. "That's an understatement. Weiss is a closeted comic book junkie."

"It's not  _all_  comics," she reminded the brunette. "Just mainly the hard-boiled mysteries and noir genres, and the occasional medieval fantasies."

"Sounds geeky enough to me," Sun said. He gave Weiss a grin. "Cool." He turned back around, and stopped at the entrance to the development, which, as he had predicted, appeared to be almost completely abandoned. "Aaand we're here."

"Great!" Ruby exclaimed. She held up the camera. "Where do you want us to set up?"

Blake quickly scanned the area before pointing at a house a couple of streets down with a balcony on the second floor. "If you two set up over there, Sun and I can try to stay between the few rooftops across the street so you can get some good shots without having to move around too much."

"Works for me." She turned to Weiss. "You okay with that?"

The heiress nodded. "You're the one with the camera. As long as it's okay with you, it's okay with me."

Yang cleared her throat from behind them. "So, uh... What do you guys want me to do? I'm not exactly an acrobat, and I'm not exactly an artist, either."

Ruby bit her lip. "Um... You can still come with me and Weiss. We could use the company."

"Are you sure, sis? That balcony looks kind of small to fit all three of us  _and_  that camera."

"It's really not," Blake assured her. "Sun and I have dove off that balcony dozens of times, and there was more than enough room. You should all be fine."

Yang raised her eyebrows. "Okay, then, I guess I'm going with you and Weiss," she told Ruby.

The five of them started for the balcony, each of them taking turns climbing the faded, white fence that provided enough of a boost to get up to the balcony. Sun, Blake, and Yang had no problem getting onto the balcony, but because Ruby and Weiss were considerably shorter than the other three, Sun, the tallest of the group, had to provide an extra hand for the two girls to get up. Once they were all settled, Blake and Sun pushed off from the balcony, and climbed up to the roof of the house while Ruby tried to find a good angle to place the camera.

"Let us know when you're ready!" Sun shouted from above them.

Weiss took her tablet out from her messenger bag, and stood at a safe distance behind the rail while Yang helped Ruby hold the camera steady.

"We're ready!" the youngest of the group called out, and a moment later, footsteps sounded from the rooftop, and two figures—one black and white, the other yellow and red—dove off the edge of the roof, and landed effortlessly on top of the house across the way. They didn't stop when they reached the roof, though, instead picking up speed as they used the space to outstretch their limbs and jump from house to house, occasionally adding in some improvised somersaults and round-offs where the surfaces allowed.

Weiss watched in awe as Sun and Blake moved quickly and efficiently across the rooftops, performing a beautiful display of acrobatics that the heiress had only ever seen in films or in some of her favorite comics. She walked over to the rail to get a better look as Sun vaulted off the roof of a house at the end of the street, and used the graffitied door of a garage to push himself up into a back-flip. Blake touched ground shortly after, swinging herself down from the rusty rungs of an old backyard playground, and landing in the grass a few feet away.

"What do you think?" Yang asked Weiss while she continued to prop up the camera with one of her hands. She was now leaning with her back against the rail, watching the white-haired girl through those shady sunglasses that always made it difficult to read her expression.

"They're pretty impressive," Weiss said, turning her attention away from the pair as they began to jog back toward the balcony. She picked up her tablet, and opened the same drawing application that she had installed on her computer. She absentmindedly began sketching two figures running beside each other, one with its legs drawn inward mid-jump while the other's were outstretched as though it was about to fly.

"You should see them while they're practicing in the city," Ruby added, her gaze still glued to the eyepiece of the camera. "It's more exciting when there are more obstacles."

Weiss let out a thoughtful hum. "I bet."

Blake and Sun returned to the balcony a few moments later, and Ruby pulled back the camera to show them the shots. Yang had moved from her spot on the rail and was now leaning dangerously close to Weiss, watching her as she continued to work on her tablet.

"That's actually pretty good."

The heiress looked up at her friend's sister. "Thank you... I  _do_  plan on doing this as a living someday."

Yang pushed her aviators up over her forehead, and rested them atop her long mane of hair. "I recognize some of those techniques." She pointed at one of the figures, which Weiss had just begun to shade using a variation of line thickness and colors. The colors she used were primarily white, black, and yellow, similar to the predominant color scheme used in the first issue of  _Lost & Found_.

Weiss furrowed her eyebrows. "I didn't realize you were as artistically fluent as your sister."

"I'm not. But I know  _Lost & Found_ when I see it."


	5. Can I Tell You a Secret?

Yang couldn't hide the smirk that twitched at the corners of her lips as she watched the pale, pristine girl in front of her stumble over her words. If all it took to render the girl nearly speechless was just a simple mention of the title  _Lost & Found_, Yang wondered how Weiss would react if she told her that she was the original writer of the series. As it stood, Ruby, Blake, Sun, Yang's father and uncle, and the staff at Beacon Comics were the only people who actually knew the face behind the name Blondie. Not once had she actually been this close to a fan of hers, and never had she ever been so tempted to spill her secret than she was right then.

"You're a fan of the comic, right?" Yang asked Weiss after a moment.

The heiress just nodded, and looked nervously at the tablet in her lap. She closed out of her drawing application, and distractedly turned the device over in her hands. "I take it you are, as well?"

 _That's one way of putting it..._  Yang chuckled. "Yeah, you could say that." She let out a content sigh, and glanced up at Ruby and Blake to see that they were both watching her with matching looks of suspicion. She turned back to Weiss with a grin. "You know... I happen to  _know_  the writer of the series."

Weiss immediately shot her head up, her vibrant eyes becoming wide in curiosity. "You do?" She let out a quiet laugh. "I mean, of course you do, you said you work for Ozpin... What do you do again?"

Yang huffed. "Oh, you know, I just write a little here and there. Nothing too memorable."

Blake rolled her eyes, but Weiss didn't seem to notice as she continued to stare expectantly at the blonde. "So... What's Blondie like? I've read that he's really difficult to work with."

Ruby and Sun both broke out into uncontrollable laughing fits at Weiss's comment. The heiress looked at them, confused, while Yang just found herself blinking down at the girl, not sure which part of Weiss's statement she should more upset about—the fact that she thought Blondie was a guy—which, okay, wasn't  _really_  a bad thing, but still kind of sexist to assume—or that people were saying she was difficult to work with.  _Am I really that bad?_

Weiss frowned. "I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

"What? No." Yang stepped back from Weiss, and walked over to the side of the balcony where Ruby and Sun were still trying to catch their breaths. Yang made it a point to jab both of them—hard—in their stomachs, and they immediately fell silent. She walked back over to Weiss, and gave her a small smile. "Actually, not many people know this, but Blondie is a girl... Don't go repeating that on any forums, though; she doesn't like that kind of information surfacing around."

"R-really?" The smaller girl's face reddened. "Wow, I feel like an idiot... All of this time, and I thought Blondie was a guy..."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Any specific reason why?"

She shrugged. "I don't know... I just... Everyone else assumed Blondie was a guy, so I guess I did, too... Most well-known comic book artists are male, so it's likely just a force-of-habit to assume that the newer writers are male until stated otherwise."

"I see..." The blonde leaned back against the rail, and studied Weiss quietly for a moment before she decided that her reasoning was fairly harmless. "Well, now you know otherwise. But like I said, don't go around repeating it."

"I won't." Weiss turned her gaze back toward her lap. "So, the other question...?"

"Is Blondie difficult to work with?"

"Yeah..."

Yang bit her lip. "Honestly? I don't know... Maybe she is, maybe she isn't. But everyone has a different definition of the word 'difficult', you know?"

Weiss furrowed her eyebrows. "Yeah, I guess so..." She slowly lifted her head. "Would... would it be weird if I asked you if it were possible for you to introduce me to her? I'm kind of a really big fan..."

This made Yang smile. As naive as the heiress seemed to be, Yang had to admit that the little fangirl inside of her was actually kind of adorable. "I'll have to think about it, Weiss."

"That's all I can ask for. Thank you." She tucked her tablet back into her bag. "So are we done for the day? Or are you two going to go for another round?"

Sun and Blake looked to Ruby for an answer, and the brunette just shrugged. "I've got what I need, but I'm not totally against seeing another run."

"Alright," Blake said. "We can do one more. But then we really should get something to eat."

Ruby grinned. "Yeah! You guys should all come over for dinner." She turned to Weiss. "Do you have to be home at any specific time?"

"I just have to be back before dark."

"We can work with that." Ruby gave Yang a hopeful look. "Right, sis?"

"Uh..." The blonde looked between her sister and Weiss, wondering if it was really a good idea to bring over a new friend without first asking their dad. Sure, their dad was very easy-going, and he usually liked everyone Yang and Ruby brought home, but he wasn't a fan of surprises, and Weiss had most-definitely been a surprise—but a pleasant one, at that. "I... think we should ask Dad first, but I don't think he'll have a problem with it."

Her sister nodded. "Right. I'll give him a call once we're finished here."

Sun cracked his knuckles, and turned to Blake. "Alright, partner, you ready for round two?"

The darker girl smiled. "Ready when you are." She climbed up onto the rail, and swung her legs over the other side, her biceps flexing as she gripped the rail with both hands, steadily pushing herself up to her feet. She kept her balance as Sun followed her lead, and together, they pushed off toward the nearest roof, landing with a soft thud on the heavy shingles.

Ruby lowered the camera to the floor of the balcony, and leaned over the rail as she watched Sun and Blake in awe. Yang smiled at her sister before turning back to Weiss. "Mind if I sit?" she asked her, gesturing to the spot across from her on the floor.

Weiss shook her head. "I don't mind." She moved her messenger bag to her side, giving the blonde room to sit. Yang carefully dropped down in front of her, crossing one leg over the other, and leaning back on her palms.

"So what do you like about  _Lost & Found_?"

The heiress arched an eyebrow, and let out a hesitant breath. "Well, a lot of things, really," she answered quietly. "For one, the art—at least the original art—is nothing like I've ever seen before... The color palette with all of the golds, blacks, and whites are very elegant, yet blend perfectly with the dark undertones of the plot... And then there's the writing..."

Yang perked up at the mention of the writing, curious as to what Weiss thought of her—or, well,  _Blondie—_ and how she interpreted the stories and characters that Yang spent hours upon hours every single day trying to perfect.

"Every character is written as three-dimensional," the heiress continued. "Yin isn't just some black-and-white hero, and the bad guys aren't just some cardboard cutout villains. They each operate in their own morally-gray areas, and they have their reasons for the things that they do... Even though Blaze City is meant to be one of the densest places for crime in the comic book world, even the darkest of citizens have sympathetic and admirable features, like how even though Torrez used to be the leader of a terrorist organization, he stepped down as soon as he found the love of his life, and turned himself in so he could better her life and try to redeem himself for the things he's done in the past."

Weiss grinned as she pulled her knees into her chest, and turned her gaze to a random spot in the floor of the balcony. "Even though he and Yin butt heads more often than not, he's still Yin's go-to guy for information on the organization and how they're linked to a lot of the other criminal activity going on in the city... And then there's Yin... He's not this perfect, cookie-cutter hero who always plays by the rules... He understands that in Blaze, he has to bend the rules sometimes to get what he wants, and even though he's working for the greater good, he's also in it for his own selfish reasons, hoping to piece together as much information as he can about his mother so he can finally track her down and figure out why she left him... It's tragic, yet beautiful, and he's such a strong character, and just so able to relate to. Because heroes  _shouldn't_  be perfect, because even the strongest and most good-willing of people have their dark sides and selfish desires."

Yang had to bite back a grin as she listened to the smaller girl rave about  _her_  title and  _her_  characters. She had been on many forums and had read countless interpretations of Yin, Torrez, and  _Lost & Found_'s other supporting cast, but not once had anyone ever been so spot-on to Yang's original intentions and interpretations for her characters. What Weiss didn't know was that Yin's story was  _more_  than just a piece of fiction to Yang, though, but she didn't expect the heiress, much less anyone else in her fanbase, to be able to connect those dots. Not even Ruby was aware of the similarities between Yin and Yang, and although Yang knew Blake had her suspicions, her friend never spoke up about them.

"...I totally sound like a geek, don't I?" Weiss said timidly after she finished rambling about the book. Her face reddened as she met Yang's lilac eyes once more.

The blonde just chuckled. "It's fine. In case you haven't noticed, we're all kind of geeks, here."

The heiress shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose so..."

"Hey, if you two are done flirting over there, Sun and Blake are almost done," Ruby called out from the behind the rail. Yang smirked as Weiss just blushed, and folded her hands anxiously in her lap.

Yang slowly started to stand. "It's okay, Rubes, I think she's getting ready to propose to Yin."

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "That's not true! Even  _if_  Yin was real, I probably wouldn't want to marry him."

"Why's that?" Yang asked. "Too much baggage?"

She bit her lip. "Well, that's one factor..." She turned her gaze away, and lowered her voice so Yang had to strain to hear what she said next. "And I'm not exactly interested in guys..."

"Oh, really?" Yang sat back down, and moved closer to the other girl. She also lowered her voice as she leaned into Weiss, causing the heiress to blush once again. "Does my sister know?"

Weiss shook her head. "I don't want her to think I like her or anything... She's two years younger, so it's kind of weird, and I'm not sure how she feels about those types of things..."

Yang nodded. "Well, don't worry, Ruby's probably the most open-minded person you will ever meet... and  _do_  you like her?"

"No!" she practically shouted, causing the brunette to glance at them for a moment. She furrowed her eyebrows, but turned back toward Sun and Blake again just as the two had finished their second run, and were making their way back to the balcony.

"Chill, I was just joking," Yang said to Weiss, giving her a light nudge. "Anyway, it's not that big of a deal. Your parents don't care, right?"

Weiss shrugged. "They're pretty open-minded, too, so long as I keep my focus on more  _classy_  individuals... Their words, though, not mine..."

"I see." Yang sighed, and pushed herself back up to her feet. "Well, it can't be all that bad. At least they're supportive." She offered Weiss a hand. "You should tell Ruby. I think she'd be really happy to know that you trust her."

"I... yeah." Weiss took Yang's hand, and stood up. She pulled away, and lightly brushed herself off before picking up her bag. "You know, you're easy to talk to."

Yang grunted. "That's funny, most people think I'm pretty damn stubborn."

The heiress let out a thoughtful hum. "Maybe it's just my inner geek talking, then... I don't really talk to my own sister about this kind of stuff... I think she knows about my comic book hobby, but she doesn't bring it up, so I figure it's something she's just not interested in hearing about."

"Ah well, not everyone shares the same interests... But yeah, I know Ruby doesn't mind talking about it, and neither do I, so any time you want to talk geek, I'll be here." She gave Weiss a smile before walking back over to her sister. "Hey, Rubes, make sure you pack up Blakey's camera before we go. She'll kill you if anything happens to it."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know, sis."

Sun and Blake returned to the balcony, and Blake helped Ruby pack away the camera before she put it back in her own bag. "So are we ready to head back?"

"Yep! Thanks again for agreeing to this. Our project is going to be  _sooo_  cool!" She turned to Weiss with a grin. "Right?"

Weiss returned her smile. "Yeah, it's going to be great. Thank you both."

"No prob," Sun answered. He stretched his arms high over his head. "Well, I've got to get to the zoo to start my shift in a few. Tell your dad I'll stop by sometime next week to say hi."

Ruby slapped him a high-five. "Okeydokey. See ya, Sun."

The boy hopped over the side of the rail, and landed on the ground below, taking off in a run back towards the skate park. Weiss turned to Ruby and Blake with a puzzled look.

"Is... is it weird that he's a Faunus and he works at the zoo?"

Blake raised an eyebrow, and Yang felt herself tense as she wondered where the heiress was going with this. She knew how sensitive Blake could be about the topic.

"Why would it be weird?" Ruby asked. "Sun loves animals, and people in downtown Vale don't really think twice about who's a Faunus or who's not."

Weiss nodded. "Okay. As long as he's being treated properly."

"Of course." Ruby gave her a bright smile. "Well, let's go. I'm going to call my dad once we get in the car and see if it's okay for you to stay for dinner."

"Thank you," Weiss said. The four carefully got down from the balcony, and started back toward the skate park where Blake's and Yang's cars were parked. Blake seemed to perk up a little more after Weiss's comment didn't end up taking a wrong turn, and Yang was glad to see that the heiress didn't seem to be wary of Sun's species. She hoped that Blake would come to trust the girl in time, too, because it just didn't sit well with Yang every time she saw her friend wearing that bow on her head, hiding the part of her that made her most unique.

She also hoped that Weiss would hang around more often, because there was something interesting about the heiress, and if anything, she seemed like a good friend to Ruby. Anyone who treated her sister well was alright in Yang's book.


	6. Family Portrait

Ruby's father's house was a lot more quaint than Weiss had expected. She, Yang, and their father lived in a beach house on the outskirts of town just about a half-mile away from the ocean, a large garden of various flowers, vegetables, and fruits visible from their spacious back yard. The house itself was rather small, only about one-and-a-half times the size of the detached garage that stood on the other side of the narrow driveway. Between the house and the garage was a small doghouse, the name  _ZWEI_  painted at the top in bold, sloppy letters, the doghouse appearing empty aside from two bowls that laid at the entrance.

"You didn't mention you had a dog," Weiss said to Ruby as she, Blake, Yang, and the brunette herself walked up the driveway toward the house. The fresh scent of salt water filled the air around them, and the heiress could just barely make out the sounds of waves lazily slapping at the shore in the distance.

"I didn't?" Ruby clicked her tongue. "Huh, I guess you're right... Anyway, you'll love him. He's very people-friendly. Not so much squirrels, though... They like to hide his bones on him..."

Weiss smirked. "That's adorable."

"He is. Just wait 'til you meet him."

They stopped outside the front door of the single-story house as Yang fished into the pockets of her boot-cut jeans for her keys. She let out an enthusiastic "ah-ha!" when she found them, fumbling with the multiple chains and charms she'd attached to them before finally getting a good grip, and inserting them into the knob.

When the blonde opened the door, a ball of gray-and-white fur sped past, and immediately lunged toward Blake, the darker girl laughing as she wrapped her arms around the tiny creature.

"And that's Zwei," Ruby said, gesturing toward the dog—a corgi with dark gray fur and white patches around his feet and stomach. "As you can see, he really loves Blake."

Weiss hesitantly reached out to pet the dog. "Hello, Zwei. I'm Weiss."

Zwei turned his head toward Weiss, and let out an enthusiastic bark. He wriggled in Blake's arms for a few seconds before settling down, and leaning his head against the darker girl's shoulder.

"He's a big baby," Ruby told Weiss. She started up the steps, and the girls all followed, entering the cozy front room. Weiss took in the warm, bright-colored walls and furniture that were positioned closely together throughout the living room and dining room, a stark contrast from her own home, which was painted in more subdued shades of gray and blue, the widely-spaced and generic furniture sometimes giving her house a very impersonal atmosphere. Anyone who saw the interior of her house would be able to point at it and say  _they must be a big business family_.

The heiress walked into the living room and picked up a picture frame that was sitting on a cluttered side table next to a slightly worn, orange loveseat. She studied the photograph inside its frame, depicting a tall, burly man with shaggy, blonde hair and violet eyes that were just a couple of shades darker than his eldest daughter's. The man was grinning into the lens of the camera, hugging two girls—a toddler and a young child who resembled Ruby and Yang—closely to his chest as they happily rested their heads on his shoulders. Weiss smiled at the photograph before gently placing it back down in the spot she'd found it.

Blake carried Zwei over to the loveseat, and plopped down with him still in her arms. She spread out across the cushions, and leaned her head back against one of the armrests while her feet dangled over the other. "I'm going to take a little nap while you and Weiss work on your project," she said to Ruby. "If I'm not awake by the time Tai gets home, get me up."

Weiss furrowed her eyebrows, and turned to Ruby. "Who's Tai?"

"My dad," the brunette answered simply, hoisting Blake's camera bag over her shoulder. "His name is Taiyang, but our friends usually just call him Tai."

She nodded. "Is it alright if I just call him Mister Rose?"

Ruby laughed. "Actually, it's Xiao Long. And only his students call him mister."

 _Xiao Long?_ Weiss abashedly looked away from her friend.  _Then how does Ruby have a different—_

"Rose is my mom's last name," the younger girl elaborated as if reading her mind. "Or, well, it was... I had my name changed out of respect for her after she died."

Weiss frowned. "I'm sor—"

"Don't be," Ruby said, giving the heiress a small smile. "It happened a long time ago." She patted Blake's bag with her left hand. "So, anyway, we should get started. My dad's going to want to hog up all of our time once he gets home from work, so we better get as much done as possible before then."

"Okay." Weiss glanced around the room once more before realizing that Yang was no longer present. At some point, the blonde must have slipped past them unnoticed. She wondered if Yang had heard hers and Ruby's conversation about their mother, and if she did, how she felt about it. Yang was obviously at least a couple of years older than her sister, and so it was possible she knew and had a better relationship with their mother before she passed away.

As they started down the hall toward Ruby's bedroom, they passed a closed door with a hand-written sign hanging from the center that read  _If it's not open, don't bother – Y._  Weiss bit her lip as she turned away from the door, and tried to keep her focus on her friend in front of her. Once they reached a door at the end of the hall, Ruby pushed it open, and gave Weiss a welcoming smile. They both entered the room, and Weiss took in the black-and-red decorations that seemed to be the dominant color scheme of all of Ruby's possessions, including the red zip-up hoodie she almost always wore.

Ruby walked over to one of the black bookshelves that stood on either side of her closet, and pulled out a sketchbook from the bottom shelf. She flipped it open, and turned to a blank page, carrying it over to her bed. "Okay, so we need to find somewhere to mount the camera so we can go through the footage."

Weiss walked over to her friend's bed. "Wouldn't it have been easier to hook the camera up to the television in the living room?"

"Yeah, but I want to let Blake get her rest. I know she doesn't make it seem like it, but doing parkour and putting up with my sister all day takes a lot out of her."

The heiress raised an eyebrow. "Your sister doesn't really seem like much of a handful... Am I missing something?"

Ruby laughed. "That's because you've only spent a couple of hours with her, and that was when she was in a good mood... Spend an hour with her at work, and you'll be practically tugging your hair out... But, nah, Yang's actually usually pretty relaxed. It's just that these past couple of months have been tough for her after—you know what, never mind..."

Weiss sighed, and sat down next to Ruby. "Is she okay? I mean—I noticed a couple of times how you and your friends kept changing the subject when it came to certain aspects about your sister... I don't mean to pry, just... if it's something that's bugging you, too—"

"No, no, it's nothing like that." Her friend smiled. "It's work stuff. Yang loves her job, but it's also probably the thing that stresses her out most, and she's  _always_  working on something, now. It's hard finding time to hang out with her anymore."

"And you two are close?"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, of course. She practically helped my dad raise me, and she's the one who encouraged me to keep doing my art... But Ozpin discovered her writing talent when she was still just a teenager, so she kind of had to grow up fast in order to keep up with everyone, and as much as she denies it, I know she doesn't like the way some of her coworkers—or ex-coworkers—go about their business."

"I can understand that," Weiss sympathized. "My family's had to deal with some shady businessmen in the past, and it's not exactly fun."

"See? You get it, then. Yang's  _not_  a mean person, she's just... complicated. Most of what Blake and Sun say are just jokes that we've all come to accept." Ruby let out a deep breath. "But enough about her, we've got other stuff to focus on."

Weiss swallowed, almost forgetting for a moment where she was, and what she was supposed to be doing. She stood up, and walked over to Blake's bag, where Ruby had gently dropped it by the door. She unzipped the case and withdrew the camera, setting it on the floor. She then dug around in the bag for the camera's stand, and she pulled out three legs to a tripod. She glanced up at Ruby. "How come you didn't use this when you were filming?"

"Huh?" The brunette gave Weiss a confused look as the heiress began to put together the tripod, tightening each leg in place with the camera clutch at the top. "Oh, so that's what those things are! I wasn't sure, so, uh, I just had Yang hold it in place for me..."

Weiss rolled her eyes, but didn't mask the smile that instantly appeared on her face at her friend's naivety.  _How can someone so smart and talented be so airheaded sometimes?_  She carried the tripod and camera over to Ruby's bed, and set it up so that the both of them could go through their footage together. "I drew a couple of shots on my tablet, but those were more for fun than for our actual project..."

Ruby just hummed. "Yeah, I know. But I don't think  _Lost & Found_ really represents my art style very well, so we should think about trying something else."

"Of course." Weiss turned on the camera, and began to play through the footage of Sun and Blake's first run. "How do you feel about surrealism?"

"It can be pretty neat, though I kind of lack the creativity that most surrealists tend to have..."

Weiss shrugged. "I don't think that's necessarily true... We already have a subject, all we have to do is place that subject in an imaginary world." She panned the camera over to Ruby so the girl could have a better look at the screen. "What if the moon was Remnant, and Remnant was the moon? Parkour in zero-gravity across the natural obstacles of the moon's craters while Remnant becomes a crescent-shaped earth that simply rotates around the moon?"

Ruby's silver eyes widened as she allowed Weiss's suggestions to sink in. She continued to study the screen thoughtfully, tipping her head to see the recording from a different angle. "And what if everything was upside-down? We can have roofs with no defined structures, with Sun and Blake each performing a different move as they jump across them?"

"That sounds great!" Weiss grinned. "See? You've got plenty of creativity! You just needed to find inspiration, is all."

Her friend beamed up at her. "We can use warm colors for the atmosphere instead of the generic blacks and whites that space scenes are always made out to be. I could blend them together and create some sweet effects with some watercolor."

"And I'm sure it'll come out beautiful." Weiss paused the camera, and pointed to Ruby's sketchbook. "We won't have time to paint tonight, but if we get a couple of base sketches done, then we can finish the painting in class next week... It'll definitely be something the professor won't see coming."

Ruby picked up her pencil, and slowly began to sketch the layout for the moon, sun, and Remnant. "Well, I mean, she'd expect it from you, but this is my first time doing anything this... out of the box."

"I guess it's a good thing you chose me as your partner, then." Weiss gave her an encouraging smile before she turned her gaze to the sketchbook, and watched the younger girl draw. She reached for her tablet that was still tucked inside her ever-present messenger bag, and began to sketch her own interpretation of the surrealistic world they'd just imagined together.

* * *

About an hour-and-a-half later, Weiss and Ruby had finished at least three different concepts, and Weiss had just started adding the more prominent details of the moon's surface when she heard the front door being opened from the front of the house. Ruby immediately dropped her sketchbook, and set it aside as she pushed herself up from the bed.

"Crap! I forgot to wake up Blake!" she sputtered to herself as she rushed out of the room, leaving Weiss by herself. The heiress glanced through the open doorway, slightly confused, as she listened for her friend just down the hall.

"Who's that sleeping on my loveseat?" a deep, lighthearted voice echoed through the hall a moment later, followed by a chuckle. Zwei barked in response, and the owner of the voice let out a content hum. "Watchin' over Yang's little keeper while she catnaps, eh, buddy?"

"Sorry 'bout that, Dad," Ruby said to the voice. "I told her I'd wake her when you get home."

"Don't worry about it, Little Rose," the man replied. "You know your friends are welcome anytime... Speaking of, where's this new girl you were telling me about?"

"Oh, Weiss? She's in my room! Let me go get her." Ruby came running back down the hall, and skidded to a stop at her door, grinning up at Weiss. "My dad's home! He wants to meet you."

Weiss nodded. "So I can hear." She gave the younger girl an appreciative smile before getting up from the bed, and walking over to the entrance where Ruby was waiting. She followed her back out to the living room where Ruby's father was standing, holding Zwei as he watched Blake groggily stir from her position on the loveseat.

"Ugh... Rubes, I thought I told you to wake me up..."

Ruby bit her lip. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that. Weiss and I were working on our project and kind of lost track of time." She turned toward her father. "Anyway, Dad, this is Weiss Schnee."

The man glanced at Weiss curiously, and offered her his free hand. "My daughter's friends with a Schnee, huh? I have to admit, I never thought I'd see the day."

Weiss shook his hand timidly. "Uh, yeah... Well, it's nice to meet you, sir."

He grinned. "It's very nice to meet you, too, young lady. And please, call me Taiyang or Tai."

"Alright. Thank you, Taiyang." She let go of his hand, and stepped back toward Ruby. "So I was told you're a teacher? What kind of classes do you teach?"

"I teach Creative Writing over at the Vale community college."

 _So that's where Yang gets her supposed writing talent from..._ She smiled. "I've always wanted to be a writer... Sadly, I wasn't really gifted in that department. I can turn almost anything into a piece of art, but when it comes to actually writing words on paper, I always feel like I'm writing a grocery list... Long, boring, and utterly generic."

Taiyang crossed his arms. "You know, not everyone can make words flow together like they magically belong, and not everyone can draw a pretty picture. Both are just as impressive and incredibly beautiful talents to have, so take what you've got, and do something great with it."

Weiss nodded. "Thank you. I  _do_  plan on becoming a renowned artist someday. How I get there is a completely different story, but I'm also working on that."

"That's great to hear," Taiyang told her. He turned to his youngest daughter. "Ruby, can you and Blake help me carry in some groceries from the van?"

Ruby leaned over the loveseat, and playfully poked Blake, who was still trying to wake herself up from her nap. "Did you hear that, Blakey? We gotta go help my dad bring in some groceries. Get up off your lazy butt."

Blake groaned, and slowly sat up. "Yeah, I heard." She glanced up at Taiyang. "Hey, Tai. Sorry about crashing without notice, I just really needed to rest my eyes for a bit..."

The man laughed. "It's no problem, Blake. And thank you for consistently keeping both of my daughters in check... Speaking of, where's Yang?"

The darker girl just shrugged. "Probably working on some scripts in her room even though I told her to give it a rest for the night."

"You should know by now that girl never stops working." He turned to Weiss. "Weiss, you know which door is Yang's, right? Could you call her out while the three of us put the groceries away?"

Weiss smiled. "Of course." She waited for Ruby and Blake to follow Taiyang outside before she turned back down the hall, and stopped in front of Yang's closed bedroom door. She hesitantly lifted a hand to the door, and knocked.

"Read the sign," Yang called out flatly from inside of the room, her tone much less enthusiastic than her kind and upbeat behavior earlier that afternoon.

Weiss sighed. "But your father would like you to come out."

She heard the sound of a chair scraping against a wooden floor, and a moment later, the door was opening to a slightly-flustered Yang, her long hair tied up into a messy bun, and a look of irritation on her face. "I'm kind of busy, so, uh, if you don't mind, tell him I'll be out later."

"I heard that!" Taiyang shouted as he passed through the front door once more. Weiss glanced over her shoulder and down the hall to see Taiyang hauling a couple of brown paper bags toward the kitchen. "You're coming out now. We have guests."

Yang rolled her eyes, and leaned against her door frame, not seeming to care that Weiss was still standing right there. "I've got work. Ozpin wants me to get this script done by the end of next week, and I've still got absolutely nothing."

Taiyang set the groceries on the counter before starting down the hallway toward Yang and Weiss. "What I don't understand is why he still has you working when you still don't even have an artist."

Weiss furrowed her eyebrows.  _Yang doesn't have an artist for her title, either? Does every writer at Beacon Comics have issues with keeping their staff?_

"That's not the point, Dad," Yang continued, now seeming to have completely dismissed Weiss's existence. "The point is that I'm still on a contract, and if I don't have a script, then I don't have a story. And I _can't_  think right now when all of this shit is going on around me."

Taiyang's expression became stern. "Language."

"No!" Yang threw up her arms, and walked back into her room, not even bothering to close her door this time. Weiss hesitantly peered into the room to see the frustrated blonde picking up a pile of papers, and carrying them back over to her father. "All of it is crap! It's too fucking cliché! I might as well just have Yin running around Blaze City like a madman, asking every single person he comes into contact with for some kind of answers, because I have  _none_!"

Weiss blinked, and quickly shook her head.  _Did she just say Yin? And Blaze City?_  She slowly glanced up at Yang, her words suddenly clicking into place as Weiss realized that all of the obvious hints had been there all along, glaring her in the face. She sucked in a deep breath, and took a step back from the door. "You— _you're_  Blondie?"

"What?!" Yang growled, still seemingly lost in her hopeless train of thought. She narrowed her eyes at Weiss in confusion, taking a moment to remember the girl's presence before her expression suddenly softened, and she gave Weiss a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap... I just... Yeah, I'm Blondie. Huge disappointment, right?"

"N-no," Weiss stuttered, looking Yang up and down. "You're only like, what, eighteen?"

"Nineteen, actually," Yang answered, watching Weiss warily as she seemed to calculate the smaller girl's reaction. "I was a child prodigy, which is  _one_  of the reasons I didn't want anyone knowing my true identity."

Weiss shook her head again. "But... but you  _can't_  be Blondie... He— _she—_ is so mature, and dark, and—"

"And no offense, but you don't know the first thing about me," the blonde concluded. "Listen, I know it's a lot to take in, but please, keep it on the down-low. I don't need anyone judging me, especially not right now. You seem like a nice person and all, Weiss, but I've seen what some of those people say about me on those forums, and I just... I don't need to hear it."

Taiyang rested a hand on his eldest daughter's shoulder. "Come out for dinner, honey. You owe it to yourself to take a break."

Yang glanced between her father and Weiss, her expression conflicted. Finally, she dropped her papers onto a nightstand beside the door, and looked up at Taiyang. "Alright, I'll come out. Just give me a moment."

"Okay. I'm going to go help your sister and Blake put away the groceries." He walked back down the hall and toward the kitchen, and Weiss was just about to follow him when she felt a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.

"Weiss, I—" Yang started, her tone soft and somewhat melancholic. "Look, I... I know you're a huge fan of  _Lost & Found_, and that some of the things I said... well, I didn't mean them. I love the title more than anything, and I'm going to keep writing for Yin until it's the last thing I do. So please, don't hate me for not being what you expected..."

Weiss frowned. "I don't hate you... I'm just still trying to take it all in..." She gave the girl a small smile. "Honestly, how would you feel if you just found out that your closest friend's sister is one of your biggest inspirations?"

Yang's face reddened at the compliment. "Well, uh, I guess I didn't think of it that way... But, we're still cool, right? And you're going to keep reading my books, right?"

"As long as you keep writing them," Weiss assured her with a nod. "It's, uh, going to take a while to get used to, though, so please bear with me..."

The blonde smirked. "Totally understandable." She lowered her hand from Weiss's shoulder, and exited the room. "Okay, then, let's go meet up with everyone and try to pretend that we're all normal. Sound good?"

Weiss shrugged.  _I don't know what normal is after today... But it's certainly been an interesting weekend._ She followed Yang into the kitchen, a plethora of thoughts and questions running through her mind, but none she was able to bring herself to vocalize. As the night went on, Weiss found it difficult to look at Yang without thinking of her as Blondie, as the writer who had drastically changed and shaped her life over the course of the past three years. But most of all, she found it difficult to look at the blonde, because for the first time that day, Weiss finally allowed herself to see Yang for what she truly was—an unmistakably gorgeous, talented young woman who had already stolen her heart.


	7. Out of Con-Text

_I hate you -_-_

_Huh?_  Ruby rolled over on her stomach as she stared at the screen of her Scroll, trying to decide if Weiss was being serious or not. Her friend seemed to have enjoyed herself the night before, and she hadn't said anything negative to her in class that afternoon, so whatever Weiss was "upset" about was a complete mystery to the brunette.

She received another message a few minutes later, and Ruby's stomach knotted as she anxiously anticipated a long, wordy rant about something that she'd said or done to piss the heiress off. She bit the inside of her cheek as she opened the message, and sighed when she read the content.

_Why didn't you tell me that your sister is Blondie?_

Ruby shook her head as she glanced out her open door and into the hall, where she was just barely able to make out the sound of quiet music drifting out from Yang's bedroom. Her sister had finally settled on a plot for her next script, and she had been hard at work all day trying to perfect it. Her mood had slightly lifted, but she was now being even more of a hermit than usual, only leaving her room to use the bathroom or get a quick snack. Whenever Ruby tried to talk to her, Yang would reply with a simple, "we'll chat later," and disappear back into her little writer's den.

Her sister hadn't mentioned anything about telling Weiss her secret. If she were to be completely honest, Ruby was actually a little surprised that Weiss hadn't figured it out sooner. All of the hints had been there the moment Yang even mentioned that she worked for Beacon Comics, but then again, she could understand why Weiss wouldn't want to get her hopes up. Up until yesterday, the heiress still thought that Blondie was a guy. Ruby smirked as she turned back to her Scroll, and typed up a quick response.

_Like u would ever believe me if I told u... Wanted u to figure it out urself._

She slowly pushed herself up in her bed as her Scroll went off. Ruby nearly jumped at the sudden vibration of the device, not expecting Weiss to answer her back so soon. She checked the screen, and her face almost immediately split into a grin at the name that accompanied the message.

_Sup, Rose?_

Ruby stood up, and walked over to her desk, her gaze buried in her Scroll as she replied to the new text.  _Hey, Sun! Wut's up?_

She sat down and opened her conversation with Weiss, which had just received another response.  _Well, yeah, I probably wouldn't have believed you, but you still should've told me... I stood there like an idiot when I finally figured it out..._

The brunette laughed. She pictured Weiss staring up at Yang in awe like a lovestruck fangirl, searching for something cool to say, but stumbling on her words instead. She knew Weiss wouldn't dare make such a fool of herself, but just the thought was still funny, and she figured that Weiss still had to have felt like quite the moron after she finally realized that she had spent almost the entire afternoon with her favorite writer without even realizing it.

 _So does this mean ur in love w/ my sis now? :P_ Ruby teased her.

Even though Weiss didn't like to admit it, it was quite clear to Ruby that her friend was pretty obsessed with all things  _Lost & Found_, including Blondie herself. It almost surprised her that Weiss failed to mention anything about the title at all in school earlier that afternoon, but now that Ruby knew Yang's secret was out, she figured Weiss was trying her best not to make a big deal about it. Either that, or she was still reeling from the revelation.

_Nooo! Gross! ...I mean, Yang's not gross, but she's your sister, and... Yeah, just no._

Ruby leaned back in her chair, and let out a thoughtful hum. Before responding to Weiss's text, she checked her conversation to see if Sun had yet replied to her own, but was mildly disappointed to see that her inbox was still empty. She sighed, and reopened Weiss's message.  _I don't c the prob._

She reached into the top drawer of her desk for a pen and her History textbook, and began underlining key points from her reading assignment as she waited for either of her friends to respond. A couple of minutes later, Ruby was in the middle of noting a passage about the Great War when her Scroll finally went off, and the sound caused her to accidentally scribble into the text of the passage underneath.

"Shit," she mumbled to herself as she tried to smudge out the ink, but only ended up making the blotch worse. She gave up, and pushed her book aside, returning her attention to her Scroll.

_Hey... I want to talk to you about something tomorrow after class..._

Ruby frowned. Weiss's tone seemed much more serious than it had in her previous texts, and she wondered what had changed between this one and the last one.  _R u ok?_ she asked the heiress. Just as she had sent the message, her Scroll went off once more, this time from Sun. She smiled, and sank back in her seat.

_Sry bout that, was changing out of my work uniform. Had to clean up after the elephants today, not fun... How ya been?_

_Can't complain... & that's gross. U should make Neptune clean them next time._ Ruby smirked as she sent her reply, picturing Sun and his blue-haired coworker arguing over cleaning duty at the zoo. Sun was very vocal about his fondness of the zoo and the animals that lived there, but even he had his limits. No one in their right mind would ever volunteer for something as filthy as clean-up duty, especially since it paid just about the same as a cashier at the gift shop. Usually, Sun was in charge of feeding the monkeys and marsupials, but because this was the zoo's busiest time of year, he had had to pick up extra shifts working wherever and doing whatever his manager requested, and that sometimes meant getting stuck with the grunt work.

It had been a while since she and Yang had been to the zoo. In the past, they used to go at least twice a week to see Sun at work and help out with the animals whenever they could. But since Yang had hit her rough patch at Beacon, she had barely left the house except to go to work or occasionally pick Ruby up from school. Something about going to the zoo without her sister didn't feel right, so Ruby had also kept her distance, mainly because she didn't have any other means of transportation. Sun was her only link to the zoo nowadays, and whenever he texted or called, he always made sure to update her as much as he could.

 _Were u serious bout taking Weiss 2 r spot?_  Ruby quickly added after her last message. She was glad that her friends had so readily accepted the heiress into their group, and she hoped that if maybe Weiss was going to hang out with them more, then she wouldn't have to be cooped up at home or in Yang's studio all the time, constantly worrying about her sister. And maybe, if Weiss stuck around, Yang would actually want to leave the house or studio more often. Her sister had seemed genuinely interested in Weiss and her love for comics, as well as her artistic style, and yesterday was probably the first time in a while that Ruby had seen Yang actually have a good time.

 _Yeah why not? She seems cool_ , Sun responded after a moment.  _Maybe a little green, but Blakey and I will fix that in no time._

Ruby smiled.  _Thnx, Sun. That means a lot._

_No prob... Hey, I'll catch ya later. Gonna go get some grub._

_Okay, have fun :)_ Ruby pushed back in her chair, and stood up, slowly making her way back to her bed. She frowned as she searched through hers and Weiss's conversation once again, finding no new response from the girl. She sighed as she laid back on her mattress, and held her Scroll close to her chest, waiting for any type of sign that her friend was alright. She knew she was probably worrying for nothing, and that Weiss probably just wanted to talk about something regarding an art assignment, but still, it wasn't every day Ruby was able to call an actual classmate of hers a friend, so she couldn't help but be the least-bit concerned.

A couple of minutes passed, and Ruby still hadn't heard anything from Weiss. Her eyes were just beginning to droop in tired anticipation when she heard the door from the bedroom over being opened, and quiet footsteps padding down the hall.

"Ruby?" her sister's voice called out as it drifted farther and farther away.

Ruby shot up in bed, and glanced over at her open door. "I'm in here!"

The footsteps suddenly quickened and became louder until they were directly outside of her room, and Yang poked her yellow head in through the doorway. "Hey, sis. Have you eaten, yet?"

"Nope." She swung her feet over the side of her bed, and looked up at her sister with a smile. "I was waiting for Dad to get home before making anything. He might bring something back."

Yang leaned back against the door frame. "Actually, Dad's coming home late tonight, so it's just you and me for dinner. Did you want to get some takeout?"

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "You aren't too busy?"

"Just finished my script," the blonde said confidently. "Now I've got the whole week to worry about if Ozpin will find me a new artist and get the book published on time... But until then, I'm free to spend some time with my little sister."

"Thanks, Yang. Takeout sounds great."

Yang grinned. "Awesome! I'll go make the call... Also, I heard you swearing in here earlier... Is everything okay?"

Ruby shrugged. "I was just having problems with my homework... I was texting Sun and Weiss and got distracted, and I accidentally drew all over my book."

Her sister snorted. "Nice one." She straightened her back, and walked over to Ruby's bed, giving the younger girl a questioning look. "What were you and Weiss talking about?"

"Eh, nothing," Ruby lied, biting the inside of her cheek. As curious as she was to find out how Yang's big revelation had gone, the brunette was much more interested to hear Weiss's side of things, mainly because she already knew Yang wouldn't make a big deal out of it. But there was still something Ruby  _did_  want to address that her sister might have been able to help her with. "But, uh, I'm worried about Weiss... She said she has something she has to tell me, but wants to wait until tomorrow after class... She seemed a little upset, so I hope I didn't do something wrong..."

Yang furrowed her eyebrows. "That's odd... She seemed fine yesterday, but then again, you know her better than I do..."

"Yeah..." Ruby sighed. "Should I be worried? I mean, I don't think Weiss has any problems with me, other than I can be pretty immature at times, but that's mostly your fault because I take after you, and—"

"Hey! I am  _not_  immature!" Yang crossed her arms and feigned being offended. "And you don't  _have_  to take after me, you choose to be that way. Besides, it's not necessarily a good thing... I don't want you to become bitter toward the things you love, like I tend to toward my writing sometimes. I know I've been kind of unpleasant to be around, lately..."

Ruby gave her a half-smile. "It's fine, sis. I understand. And you couldn't do anything to push me away, anyway." She cleared her throat. "But forget about that, we were talking about Weiss. I need advice."

Yang let out a deep breath, and lowered herself to the edge of the bed beside her sister. She smoothed her palms over her bare knees, and turned her attention toward a wall on the other side of the room. "Weiss told me something yesterday that I think she wants to talk to you about... It's nothing bad, and I know for a fact that you won't have a problem with it, but just keep in mind that to her, it's probably difficult to talk about."

Ruby frowned. "She told you? Why would she talk to you before she talked to me...? You've only known each other for barely a day..."

Her sister shook her head, and turned to Ruby with an assuring smile. "It's not like that... She wanted my opinion  _before_  she told you because she wasn't sure how you'd react. I'm sure she felt more comfortable asking me  _because_  I'm a stranger to her, so if I were to judge her—which I didn't and I won't—it would have less of an impact than if you, her close friend, do."

"Oh..." Ruby nodded. "I guess that makes sense... But, still, why won't you tell me what it is? I can't wait until tomorrow." She groaned. "Damn it, now you're going to have me worked up all night trying to figure it out..."

Yang laughed, and rested a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "It's okay, sis. Everything's fine, trust me. It's nothing bad, I promise, and Weiss is perfectly okay. Just second-guessing herself a little, is all... She wants to know if she can trust you."

"Of course she can!"

" _I_  know that, and she probably does, too, but like I said, she's just second-guessing herself." Her sister smiled. "The fact that she wants to tell you means that she already trusts you to a pretty good degree."

Ruby nodded. "Yeah, I guess... I hope you're right." She checked her Scroll one more time, and let out a relieved sigh when she realized that at some point during hers and Yang's conversation, Weiss had finally texted her back.

_I'm fine... I just think there's something you should know, is all. I'll talk to you tomorrow._

"What'd she say?" Yang asked, leaning over Ruby's shoulder to read the message.

Ruby set her Scroll down, and smiled. "She's fine. She said we'll talk tomorrow."

Yang grinned. "See? I told ya!" She stood up, and gave Ruby an expectant look. "Now let's go order something to eat." She quickly strutted out of the bedroom and into the hall, the happiest Ruby had seen her sister in probably a week. It struck Ruby as odd that all it seemed to take to lighten her sister's spirits was just a simple mention of Weiss, but then again, as long as Yang was content and showing a little bit of her old self, then Ruby didn't care what the cause was. To have her big sister back was the only thing that mattered in the world.


	8. From Bad to Good

Weiss paced nervously around the empty hallway, wondering what in the world was taking Ruby so long. Class had ended at least five minutes earlier, but Ruby had stayed to talk to the art teacher about something, and now Weiss was quickly losing her patience and her nerve.

After her talk with Yang the other day, Weiss decided she was finally going to be honest with Ruby about her sexuality. Not that it was that big of a deal, but it was something Weiss had felt insecure about ever since she realized she was interested in girls back in junior high. Despite Brushwell being a fairly liberal school, there were still quite a few students there that weren't exactly the most accepting of alternative lifestyles, and because of that, Weiss had remained mostly closeted to anyone outside of her family.

Even now, she still wasn't sure she wanted to tell Ruby the truth. She already knew the brunette could keep a secret—after all, she'd kept the fact that her sister was Blondie from Weiss even  _after_  Ruby had learned that the heiress was probably Blondie's biggest fan—but for some reason, Weiss just didn't feel right.

It didn't help that just a little further down the hall, Cardin Winchester, Brushwell's resident bully, was slamming a student into a locker, and shouting things like,  _"Herme!"_ and  _"Dyke!"_  Weiss gritted her teeth as she tried to ignore the student's muffled pleas for help along with Cardin's mocking laughter. After what seemed like an eternity, Cardin finally let the student go, dropping— _her?—_ to the cool, marble floor, and sauntering off toward the building's exit, not a single teacher having left his or her room to see what the commotion was about.

"Jerk," Weiss muttered to herself as she stopped pacing, and slowly walked over to the student still laying on the floor. She crouched down and offered the student a hand. "Hey. Are you alright?"

The student glared up at her through angry, tearful eyes. "I'm  _fine_ ," the student said in a surprisingly feminine voice. She swatted Weiss's hand away, and lifted herself to her feet, brushing the dust off of her red-and-yellow striped Brushwell marching band uniform. She then straightened her back and turned to face Weiss, her deep, crimson hair hanging loosely over her right eye. "What's your problem, anyway?"

Weiss frowned, and took a step back from the student. " _My_  problem? I was just trying to make sure you were okay... I saw what Cardin did."

"And yet you stood there and watched like it was some kind of pay-per-view." The student crossed her arms. "If you  _really_  cared, you would've called a teacher."

"But I—"

She held up a black, gloved hand, cutting the heiress off. "But  _nothing_. Why don't you go back to minding your own damn business?"

"Alright, Weiss, I—" a voice called out from behind them before Weiss had the chance to respond. She spun around and noticed Ruby leaving the art room, an unsuspecting smile on her face. The younger girl looked between Weiss and the other student. "Oh, hey, Scarlet!"

The student narrowed her eyes at Ruby. "Wait, you two  _know_  each other?"

Ruby furrowed her eyebrows. "Yeah, of course. We're in the same art class together... Hey, are you alright?"

Scarlet scoffed. "Just Cardin being a douche, as always. Your  _friend_  saw the whole thing."

Weiss shook her head. "Look, it wasn't like that, okay? I didn't know what to do!"

"There are teachers  _everywhere_! You could've called one of them instead of just letting him push me around!"

"Hey, hey, let's not get carried away." Ruby lifted a hand to Scarlet's shoulder. "I'm sorry Cardin did that to you. You know I would've helped if I had known." She turned to Weiss. "Why didn't you come back into the art room and get me?"

"You were busy," the heiress responded meekly, taking yet another step back from Scarlet. She averted her icy gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry, I didn't know what I was supposed to do... No one else was around, and I wasn't exactly about to start something with Cardin."

Scarlet let out an indifferent grunt. "Yeah, well, the next time you see him bullying someone, instead of just standing around and watching, you could at least walk away and  _pretend_  not to see it."

Weiss sighed. "I have a feeling you're going to dispute everything I say."

"Just stay out of my way." Scarlet pulled away from Ruby, and swiftly pushed past the two girls, disappearing down the hall. Ruby exhaled sharply, and shifted awkwardly beside Weiss as they could hear the back door to the building's exit being slammed shut.

"She's not usually like that," Ruby tried to explain, but Weiss just turned away from her, and started toward the opposite end of the building.

"Let's just go," she called tiredly over her shoulder, having completely abandoned the desire to tell Ruby the truth. As she stopped at the front door and waited for her friend, she decided that it wasn't worth wasting her breath, especially if word were to somehow get back to Cardin about her sexuality. The last thing she needed was a reason for the school bully to turn his sights on her.

Ruby quickly caught up with her, her silver eyes filled with concern as they passed through the large, plexiglass doors to the sunlit sidewalk outside. "Hey, don't take it personally. If Cardin was pushing me around, I'd be in a bad mood, too."

Weiss just shrugged. "Whatever, Ruby. I don't want to talk about it."

The brunette gave her a half-smile. "Well, if you don't want to talk about Scarlet, then how about my sister?"

"What does she have anything to do with this?" Weiss asked dismissively as she started for the parking lot. She frowned when she realized her driver's car wasn't parked out front like it usually was after school hours. "Huh."

Ruby stopped at the curb, and turned to Weiss with a furrowed brow. "What's wrong?"

"My ride isn't here." She pulled her Scroll out of her messenger bag, and found a message from her father, informing her that their driver had taken the car to the shop to be looked at, and that Weiss was responsible for her own ride home. "Well, I guess I'm stuck here until my sister gets out of work."

"Yang could bring you home," Ruby told her, pointing toward the familiar yellow-and-black striped sports car that was parked at the end of the sidewalk about twenty feet away. "She already knows where you live."

Weiss bit her lip. "I, uh, don't know... Doesn't she have a script to work on, or something?"

Her friend shook her head. "Nope! She finished it last night, actually. So she's pretty much free for the rest of the week."

"Oh..." She glanced over at Yang's car before glancing back at Ruby. "Would it be weird...?"

Ruby smirked. "Why? Because she's Blondie?"

The older girl nodded bashfully. "I, uh, still haven't figured out what I'm going to say to her..."

"Oh, come on. You two were fine the other day. Just pretend you didn't learn the other stuff about her, and you'll be fine."

Weiss gave her a tight smile. "Easy for you to say... You've been living with her for your entire life."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Just get in the car. It beats walking home, right?"

"Yeah, I guess..." She sighed. "Fine. But are you sure she'd even be willing to take me home?"

"Let's go find out." Before Weiss could protest, the brunette grabbed her by the hand, and started tugging her toward the car. She stopped at the passenger's side door, and stuck her head inside the open window. "Hey, sis. Can you take Weiss home? Her ride bailed."

Yang glanced over Ruby's shoulder at Weiss, and the heiress immediately felt her face redden as the blonde lowered her aviators to meet Weiss's gaze. "Oh, hey, Weiss. Get in."

Weiss nodded, and slowly walked over to the back door. She slid into the seat behind Ruby as her friend took her own seat in the front, and Weiss quickly picked something outside her window to focus her attention on so she wouldn't have to look at Yang's gleaming, lilac eyes.

She didn't know what it was about the girl, but Weiss couldn't help but feel nervous around Yang. Maybe it was because she just so happened to be her closest friend's sister, and a part of Weiss felt as though Yang could crush her if Weiss so much as upset Ruby just the tiniest bit. Or perhaps it was because she also happened to be Weiss's favorite author, something the heiress was still having difficulty trying to process. But what intimidated Weiss most of all was the way Yang had managed to get her to open up about her most well-kept secret in just a day when she hadn't even told most of those she'd known for years.

"So, Weiss," Yang said as she started the car, and pulled out of the school's driveway. "I was thinking about that panel you were drawing the other day, and I really like your style."

The heiress blinked, and looked up at the blonde through the mirror. "Oh, really? Thank you."

She smiled. "Yeah, uh, it reminds me of one of my old artists, Hei Xiong Junior."

Weiss swallowed. "He's kind of where I picked up those techniques from... I'm glad you noticed."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "It's hard not to notice such a distinct style, you know?" She turned her gaze back to the windshield, and fell silent for a few moments as she concentrated on the street in front of them. After a while, she cleared her throat, grasping Weiss's attention once more. "So I was thinking..."

"Y-yeah?" Weiss murmured, slowly moving her gaze to look at Ruby, but she frowned when she realized the brunette had put on a pair of headphones, and probably hadn't heard a single thing her sister had just said.

"I kind of have a deadline coming up," Yang continued, her expression stoic as she pressed forward steadily on the gas. "And while I have my script finished for the next issue of  _Lost & Found_, I still don't have an artist."

Weiss's eyes widened, and she sat up straighter in her seat. Was she dreaming, or was Yang really about to ask her what she thought she was going to? "So I've heard..."

Yang drummed her fingernails distractedly on the steering wheel, stopping at a red light and taking a moment to look out her side window before finally glancing back up at Weiss. "I know you're probably extremely busy with schoolwork and other projects, but would you possibly be able to find the time to come down to the studio after school this week, and draw up a few panels?"

"I, uh..." She smoothed her hands over her skirt, her face suddenly flushing as she realized how short the tight fabric was around her pale thighs. She crossed her legs, and turned her attention back to the eager blonde in the driver's seat. "There's absolutely nothing in the world I'd love to do more..."

Yang grinned. "Really?"

Weiss gave her a short nod, accompanied with a timid smile. "Yes, of course... But I'd have to get permission from my father first to stay after school."

"Oh... Right." The older girl leaned back in her seat. "Any chance he'd let you work with a renowned comic book writer?"

"Probably not," Weiss answered honestly. "But I could always stretch the truth a little..." She lifted a hand to the back of her head. "Th-that's probably a terrible idea, though, right? You probably need someone more professional... Are you sure you even want me? I mean, I'm still just a senior in high school..."

Yang sighed. "Relax, I understand. And don't forget, I was a high school student when I started writing  _Lost & Found_. I know parents can be a pain, so let's just see if we can get him to agree to a few nights this week, and then I'll see if I can find a licensed artist from then on."

Weiss let out a quiet hum. "That's probably for the best..." She smiled up at Yang. "But how many teenagers could say they got to work with their favorite writer, even if it was just for a couple of days?"

"Exactly!" Yang moved forward when the light turned green, and she took a turn onto the main street leading into Upper Vale. "So, just let me know what your dad says, and we'll take it from there."

The heiress nodded. "Cool." Both girls fell silent, and Weiss sunk back in her seat, her heart beginning to race as she processed hers and Yang's conversation. Did she really just get asked to provide art for her favorite series? Even if her father didn't agree to let her work with Yang, just the thought alone was enough to make Weiss feel giddy inside.  _Please don't be a dream. Please don't be a dream. Please don't be a dream..._

A little while later, Yang pulled up to the Schnee's front gate, and the operator allowed her to pass through. Ruby took off her headphones, and turned around to face Weiss as they neared the estate.

"Looks like you two were having quite the conversation... Anything interesting?"

Weiss smirked. "You could say that."

Her friend raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh, really? What about?"

"I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

Ruby shrugged before turning back around in her seat. Just as Yang stopped in front of the estate, the brunette gasped, and hurriedly looked back at Weiss. "Hey! You never told me what it was you wanted to talk about."

Weiss drew in a deep breath. "I, uh... I'll text you tonight."

Ruby gave her a sideward glance. "Promise?"

"Yeah. I promise." Weiss thanked Yang before getting out of the car, and hastily making her way up the front walk to her home. Once inside, Weiss collapsed to the floor, and let out an excited squeak. Winter appeared at the foyer's entrance, and looked down at her sister in amusement.

"Good day?"

Weiss just beamed up at her sister, not even realizing that she was home earlier than usual. She leaned her head against the back of the closed door, and sighed. "It is now."


	9. The Writer & the Artist

Something about the way Blake's amber eyes narrowed into tiny little slits when she was either mad or frustrated always seemed to amuse Yang. Right now, she sat reclined in her desk chair in Blondie's studio at Beacon Comics, watching her assistant's mouth move rapidly as she spoke. Yang barely registered a single word that the dark-haired girl said, but she knew it was directed at her. Still, she couldn't help but find the entire situation somewhat entertaining.

"...And you  _know_  Ozpin's not going to be happy when he hears you went behind his back to find your own artist. She's  _seventeen_ , Yang! She's still in high school!"

Yang just rolled her eyes, leaning even further back in her chair. "Ruby told me she's going to be eighteen sometime next month. Ozpin doesn't have to know her age right off the bat, does he? And he can't say anything against it anyway, since he hired  _me_  when I was even younger than that."

Blake let out an angry huff. "I already know how this is going to play out. She's going to present you with something you don't like, and you're going to yell at her, and she's going to want to quit. That's how it always is, Yang. Except this time, it's going to be on you to pick up the pieces."

"Would you have a little faith in me, Blakey?" Yang abruptly pushed forward, taking the chair with her as she rolled across the room. "Look, I like Weiss. I think she's got a lot of potential, and if I didn't like her style, I wouldn't have asked for her. She  _knows_  this book, Blake. When she went home the other night, I took the time to look at some of her fan panels for  _Lost & Found_, and they're incredible. She knows Yin almost as much as I do."

Her friend crossed her arms. "I really hope you're right, then. I don't want to see Ruby losing a good friend because of something you did, intentional or not... Have you even talked to her about this, yet?"

Yang furrowed her eyebrows. "Weiss? Yeah, I already asked her, and—"

"No, I mean Ruby. Does she know that you asked Weiss to work for you?"

The blonde just shrugged. "I mean, she was in the car when I asked Weiss, but she was listening to music, so I don't know if she heard or not, but it's still a possibility..."

Blake sighed, lowering her arms back to her sides. She took a few steps toward Yang. "Look, I want you to be happy with your artists. I want to see you actually enjoy writing again, and if you think Weiss is the person to make that happen, then fine. But just be careful. One wrong word, and you could end up shattering her dreams forever. Do you understand that?"

Yang swallowed, and slowly nodded. "I understand, Blake... I'll be careful." She gave her friend a small smile. "You know, there was a time when you didn't have to lecture me about this kind of stuff..."

"There was a time when you didn't let your disappointment get the best of you." The Faunus walked past Yang and over to the desk. Yang spun around in her chair to watch Blake as she opened the top drawer, and pulled out an old photograph. She showed it to Yang. "You know, Ruby's been talking to Sun a lot. I don't know if you knew that, but Sun told me. She misses going to the zoo like you two used to, and she misses hanging out with you in general."

"Yeah, I..." Yang bit her bottom lip as she reached out for the photograph, and studied it more closely. In it, Ruby was ten, and Yang had just turned fourteen. They were at the zoo with their father and Blake, all smiles as Taiyang took a picture of the three girls in front of the large sign at the entrance. That was the same day they had all met Sun, goofing off with a blue-haired kid name Neptune as they made faces at the monkeys. Ruby, naturally curious, had gone up to them and asked what they were doing, and when Sun convinced her that the monkeys liked it, she, too, started making faces until one of the apes threw a banana at them through the rungs of the cage. Taiyang had lectured all three of them about being respectful toward the animals, and after that, Sun and Neptune followed them around the zoo from then on.

Blake took back the picture, and placed it back in the drawer. "I know you've been busy, and frustrated, but I  _know_  there's still time for you to have fun."

Yang looked up at her assistant. "I know, Blake. And I want to start doing that again. I really do think Weiss is the answer to all of my work problems, just at least until Ozpin can find me a new artist who fits the criteria  _I_  approve of... All she has to do is get permission from her father to come down here after school, and we shouldn't have a problem. I already have my script written out, all she has to do is draw the panels."

"Alright, alright." Blake raised an eyebrow. "You know, I think you like her."

"I already told you I do. Otherwise I wouldn't have hired her."

Her friend shook her head. "No, I mean I think you  _like_ -like her. I know you swing both ways."

Yang rolled her eyes. "I've known her for what, a few days? I think it's a little too soon for you to be coming to that conclusion."

Blake smirked. "Yang, you fell for that one guy back in middle school without even knowing who he was. You dropped your pencil, he picked it up, and it was like love at first sight."

"I was thirteen! I didn't know better back then!" Yang stood up, and pushed her chair back over to her desk. She turned to face Blake, giving her a challenging look. "What would  _you_  know about love anyway, Miss Ace?"

"I know how you get," she answered simply. "And you're getting your hopes up about one drawing gig. You've never been this excited about any of your artists before, and you've never gone out of your way to reach out to one of them."

"I told you, Weiss is different."

Blake continued to watch her analytically. "But  _why_?"

Yang sighed. Why  _was_  Weiss different? It wasn't  _just_  because she was a talented artist who could probably bring  _Lost & Found_'s panels to their former glory. It wasn't  _just_  because she seemed to know Yin almost as much as Yang herself did. And it wasn't  _just_  because she was Ruby's friend, and Yang knew she could trust her. There was something else about her, something about being around her that actually filled Yang with a sense of hope. Weiss was the first actual fan she had revealed her true identity to, something Yang had promised herself she would never do. So why was Weiss the exception?

"Heh. I knew it."

"Shut up," Yang just said, lowering her gaze. "It's not  _that_  big of a deal."

Blake chuckled. "Are you  _sure_  it's a good idea to be working with someone you're interested in?"

"She's the only one who I know can do the job!" Yang started toward the door. "You know what? I'm going to get some air. Can you pick up Ruby from school today?"

"Do I have to bring Weiss home, too?"

"That's totally up to you, Blake. She usually has her own ride, yesterday was just a one-time thing." Yang turned around once more to face her assistant. "But if you  _do_  see her, can you ask her if she's talked to her father yet? I don't have a way to contact her, and I'd feel weird asking for her number from Ruby."

Blake smiled. "I guess I could do that."

Yang gave her a short nod. "Thanks." She turned back toward the door and exited the studio, her mind swirling with a hundred unanswered questions, most of them about Weiss. And for the first time, as she thought about the heiress, she couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

* * *

_Her father said yes._

Yang leaned forward, dropping her spoon into her bowl as she read Blake's text. A wide grin spread across her face as she stared at the screen of her Scroll, nearly forgetting where she was until she felt her sister's foot collide with her shin underneath the table.

"Ow, damn it!" She glanced up from her Scroll at Ruby, who was watching her with a smirk.

"Someone's happy," her sister teased her.

Yang lowered her Scroll, and picked up her spoon. She slurped a mouthful of soup before turning back to her sister. "I just found myself an artist... Well, at least for now."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Anyone famous?"

"Not really." Yang gave her a small smile. "But you  _do_  know her."

"I do?"

The older girl nodded. "I'll give you a hint, she goes to school with you, and I met her just last weekend."

Ruby's eyes widened. "No way. You asked Weiss?"

"Yes I did. And her father just gave her permission."

"Weird... Her father's usually really strict about that kind of stuff..." Ruby dipped a slice of bread into her bowl of soup, and lifted it to her mouth. "He isn't exactly a fan of comics," she said before taking a bite.

Yang let out a thoughtful hum. "She must've told him something different, then. Anyway, Blake said her father said yes, and that's all that matters to me. I don't care how she managed to get him to say it, she's going to be working for me."

Ruby furrowed her eyebrows. "How come you didn't tell me you were going to ask her?"

"I, uh, kind of asked her right on the spot..." She shrugged. "I mean, you were right there in the car with us when I asked her, but you weren't paying attention, so it's your own fault for being left out of the loop."

"Oh..." Ruby smiled. "Well, I'm glad you asked her! I was always thinking of suggesting her to you, but I know you're really picky and I wasn't sure if you'd want to work with a highschooler, so I kind of just kept my mouth shut... But I always thought she'd be perfect for  _Lost & Found_."

Yang grinned. "I couldn't agree more, sis."

Ruby finished her soup, and carried her bowl over to the sink. "So when does she start?"

"Hopefully tomorrow," Yang told her. "I mean, my deadline's really close, so I'll need her as soon as possible... I just don't have a way of contacting her to let her know..."

"I could give her your number," Ruby suggested. "I can text her right now if you want."

Yang bit her lip. "Would that be weird?"

Ruby furrowed her eyebrows. "Why would it be weird? She's going to be working for you, now."

"True..." Yang looked down into her bowl of barely-touched soup. "Well, if you insist."

"Cool!" Ruby took out her Scroll and quickly composed a text. "I'll let you know when she responds."

"Sounds good." Yang pushed her chair back, and got up from the table. She carried her bowl over to the sink, and slowly started to wash hers and her sister's dishes. "Hey, Ruby? Once Weiss and I finish this issue of  _Lost & Found_, would you possibly want to take a trip to the zoo with me?"

Ruby gasped. "Really? You mean it?"

Yang glanced at her with a smile. "Yeah. It's been a while since we've been there, and I know you've been missing the animals."

"That would be great!" She came up behind Yang and hugged her around the waist. "Thanks, sis!"

Yang nodded happily. "It's no problem." She finished washing the dishes, and grabbed the towel that was hanging from the cupboard. "I'd return your hug, but my hands are all soapy."

Ruby laughed, and released her embrace. She took a step back while Yang dried her hands. "It's nice to see you this happy, Yang."

"What can I say? It's all thanks to your friend." She set down the towel, and turned to face her sister. "I don't know, I just have a good feeling about her."

"I'm glad you like her." Ruby grinned. "You know, a lot of people at school kind of have the wrong idea about her because of her family. They think she's this rich, stuck-up brat, but she's so much more than that... I'm just glad you got to meet the real her last weekend."

Yang smiled. "I'm glad I got to meet her, too." She playfully ruffled Ruby's hair. "Hey, did she ever tell you what it was she wanted to talk to you about?"

Her sister frowned. "No... She said she's been busy and hasn't really gotten around to it..."

"Oh..." Yang shrugged. "Well, maybe that's true, then. I'm sure she'll tell you sooner or later."

"Yeah... It's not a big deal, though. She can talk to me when she's ready." Ruby picked up her Scroll just as it went off. "Oh, hey, Weiss got your number. She said she'll text you soon."

"Cool!" Yang walked back over to the table and picked up her own Scroll, sending Blake a short  _thank you_  for talking to Weiss for her. She then started toward the hall. "Hey, I'm going to go map out some more ideas for my next script. You should start your homework."

Ruby groaned. "Yeah, yeah..."

Yang disappeared into her bedroom, and plopped down stomach-first on her bed. She held her Scroll out in front of her in anticipation, mentally kicking herself for how pathetic she must've looked, waiting for a text from Weiss. Finally, after a few moments, the Scroll finally went off, and she received a message from an unrecognizable number.

_+5558434 Hey, it's Weiss. Is this Yang?_

The blonde instantly added the number to her contacts.  _Yes it is. What's up?_

_Just working on some homework... I don't know if Blake told you, but my father gave me permission to work with you after school._

Yang smiled at her screen.  _I know, she did. How'd you convince him?_

_Actually, I told him the truth... At first, he wasn't convinced, because he doesn't consider comics "true art", but I told him it was a favor for a friend, and that I wouldn't use my real name. He said as long as it's something I want to do, and that I keep up with my other schoolwork and art projects, then he won't tell me no._

"Hmm..." Yang rolled over to her back.  _Huh. I wasn't expecting that._

_Yeah, me neither :P_

Yang crossed her legs over her bedspread, and stared at the words on her screen, letting out an amused grunt as she imagined Weiss's reaction when her father actually gave her permission. Though Yang didn't know Mr. Schnee personally, she'd heard from Ozpin, who used many of his products for digital and electronic work, that the man was known to be a little less than lenient when it came to negotiating. But then again, Weiss was his daughter, so it only made sense that he'd have a softer spot for her than for his clients.

 _So when should I start?_  Weiss texted Yang after a couple of minutes, and Yang sighed when she realized she'd forgotten to send the heiress a message back.

_Is tomorrow after school okay? I can pick you and Ruby up and bring you both to the studio._

_Sounds good to me._

Yang smiled.  _Cool. So..._

_Yes?_

_Have you talked to Ruby yet? About what we talked about on Sunday?_

Weiss's next reply took a while to come. Yang sat up in her bed and glanced around her room while she was waiting, her eyes landing on the  _Lost & Found_ poster above her desk. It was an enlarged picture of the cover of Issue #1, back when Junior was still working on the title, and the art was absolutely flawless. A familiar pang of guilt welled in Yang's chest as she thought about Junior, and how he'd left Beacon about a year earlier. His departure was unexpected, as he and Yang had always seemed to be on good terms, but ever since his transfer, any attempt Yang made to reach out to him had either been rejected or completely ignored.

Her Scroll went off a few moments later, breaking Yang from her thoughts, and tearing her gaze back to the screen of her device.  _I was going to yesterday, but... something happened at school, and I kind of chickened out..._

Yang frowned.  _What happened? I mean, you don't have to tell me, but if you want to talk about it, I'm here._

_I... I don't know, really... There's a bully at our school named Cardin, and he was picking on an androgynous student... I know Ruby would never do anything like that, but I guess I'm afraid that if I tell her now, word will somehow get out and make its way back to Cardin..._

"Asshole," Yang muttered as she read Weiss's response. She knew from experience that bullies weren't always easy to deal with. Back when she and Blake were in high school, Blake had had to hide her cat ears underneath her little black bow because of an incident in tenth grade when a group of human students had cornered her and began tugging on her ears. Yang had tried to convince her to go without the bow to prove that she wasn't afraid of the bullies, but Blake's fear got the best of her, and it wasn't until after graduation that she actually began going around without it. Wearing her bow around Weiss was probably the only exception, and Yang knew that it bothered Ruby almost as much as it bothered Yang that Blake couldn't seem to trust herself around Weiss even after the heiress had already proven she had no discomfort being around a Faunus.

 _I can understand that_ , she replied to Weiss after about a minute.  _But I don't think you should be afraid. If you're worried about another student overhearing, then you can tell her tomorrow after school when we're at the studio._

 _Are you sure?_  Weiss responded shortly after.

Yang smiled reassuringly at her screen, wishing the heiress could see it.  _Yeah, I'm sure. And if you need back-up, I'll be right here._

She set her Scroll in her lap, and glanced out her window as the sun slowly began to set behind orange and purple clouds. She wondered if maybe she was pushing Weiss too hard, especially since it wasn't Yang's secret to share. But if she trusted Ruby as much as she said she did, then the brunette had the right to know. And now that Ruby was expecting it, Weiss kind of owed her an explanation, even if she just made something up to hold her over until she was finally ready to tell the truth.

Yang turned back to her Scroll, and sent one last message before sinking underneath her sheets. She knew it was still early, but she was more than ready to go to sleep.  _Good night, Weiss. I'll be looking forward to working with you tomorrow._


	10. Trust

The next day went by excruciatingly slow. Ruby had spent the majority of her morning trying to figure out what Weiss was keeping from her, and the more she thought about it, the more she started to worry that she wasn't being a good friend. By the time she finally reached her art class at the end of the day, Ruby was a ball of nerves, tapping her foot anxiously against the stool of her easel while she waited for Weiss to come in and take her place. When the white-haired girl finally walked through the door just a minute before the bell, Ruby practically leaped up out of her seat, and rushed over to Weiss.

"Please tell me you're not mad at me!" she said, grabbing the heiress by the arm and tugging her over to her easel.

Weiss knitted her brows in confusion, and slowly sat down next to Ruby. "No, why would I be?"

Ruby frowned. "I don't know, you've been kind of dodgy about something and I feel like it's all my fault, and if I did something wrong, then—"

"No, no, no, that's not it!" Weiss assured her, cutting her off. She sighed, and glanced around the art room that was quickly becoming packed with students. She turned back to Ruby with a hesitant smile. "Look, I  _have_  been keeping something from you. I just haven't found the right way to tell you, yet... But I  _promise_  we'll talk after class, okay?"

"Are you sure? 'Cause if you really don't want to talk about it, then you don't have to."

Weiss shook her head. "No, I want to. I just... I can't talk about it in here. Don't worry, I'm not mad at you or anything, so don't look so down."

Ruby straightened her back, and gave the older girl a short nod. "Right. Okay." She turned around in her seat just as the professor walked in through the door, and took her position at the front of the room.

"Ahem, students," the professor said, clearing her throat. "I would like to inform you that Miss Nikos will not be present in this class for the next couple of months, as she was just cast as the lead in this year's school musical, and will be needing to use her free periods preparing for the production."

"Aww... I liked Pyrrha," Ruby muttered, her shoulders slightly slumping.

Weiss smirked. "Yeah, she's the only model who doesn't mind me turning her portraits into one of my weird little fantasy hero projects." She shrugged. "But it's good to hear she got the lead. She worked hard for it."

"Yeah. You know who the male lead is, though, right?" Ruby asked her with a chuckle.

The heiress's eyes immediately narrowed. "Don't tell me, it's Arc."

Ruby nodded, a knowing grin spreading across her face as Weiss just lifted a palm to her forehead. "Hey, don't knock Jaune's acting ability. He's actually pretty good. And that time he tried to serenade you outside of the auditorium—"

"Oh God, I'm still trying to forget." Weiss lowered her hand, and sunk back in her seat, turning her attention back to the professor.

The woman gestured toward something outside of the open door. "But in Miss Nikos's place, we have a new student who just transferred here from Mistral earlier this week. Miss Sustrai?"

Ruby and Weiss both looked over at the door as a girl with dark skin and an unnatural shade of green hair walked into the room, her posture poised and her expression confident as she turned to face the class. She immediately glanced in the girls' direction, her bright, taunting red eyes seeming to bore a hole through their heads. Ruby noticed how Weiss shifted uncomfortably in her seat before the new girl turned back to the front, and sat down on Pyrrha's stool.

"What was that about?" Ruby whispered to Weiss, who just shrugged.

"I don't know... Maybe she's just nervous?"

Ruby shook her head. "I doubt it."

"Well, let's just focus on our work and get through this class. I've got more important things to do today." Weiss focused on her canvas, and slowly began to sketch the outline of the new girl's body, her lines much cleaner and more precise than Ruby was used to seeing her use.

Ruby picked up her own pencil, and lazily began to draw. "That's right, you're working with Yang today, right?"

"Shh, let's not talk about this in here," Weiss told her, her gaze never leaving her canvas.

"Okay..." Ruby let out a thin breath, and tried to focus on her own drawing, but every time she looked up to meet the new girl's gaze, it was as if she always knew Ruby would be right there, and the new girl would be staring straight through her, reading what was inside. By the time class ended, Ruby's canvas had more eraser marks then it did actual pencil, having messed up multiple times because she could barely look at the model for a few seconds without feeling uneasy. About the only part that seemed accurate about her portrait were those eyes, deep and mysterious, and seemingly full of deceit.

"Thank you, Miss Sustrai," the professor told the model as the bell rang above them, and students started gathering their materials and books. "Miss Rose, Miss Schnee, I would like to speak to both of you before you leave."

Ruby froze midway through stuffing her pencil case in her backpack, and dropped it back down on her stool. She turned to Weiss with a worried look. "Are we in trouble?"

Weiss just shrugged. "I don't think so. Let's find out." She slung her messenger bag over her shoulder, and walked over to their professor just as the new girl was leaving the room. Ruby followed cautiously behind, dragging her feet as she kept her gaze on the floor below her. Weiss elbowed her in the side, bringing the brunette's attention to the professor.

"I wanted to congratulate you both on your incredible surrealism piece you turned in at the beginning of the week," she told the two students. "I don't know where you got the idea, but I must admit your styles blend beautifully together. I was wondering if you ladies wouldn't mind if I showcased it in the school's annual art show next month?"

Ruby blinked. "Really?"

Their professor smiled. "Absolutely. It's one of both of your best pieces, and I think it deserves to be seen."

Weiss grinned. "Thank you very much, Professor."

"Not a problem. Enjoy your weekend."

Both girls nodded their appreciation before leaving the classroom, and starting down the hall. Once they were far enough from the room, Weiss took Ruby by the arm, and gently started to lead her toward the girls' bathroom.

"What are you doing?" Ruby asked as she allowed her friend to escort her through the hall.

"We're going to go talk, like I promised." Weiss pushed through the bathroom door, and let go of Ruby's arm, letting out a sigh of relief when it seemed like they were in the clear.

Ruby frowned. "Weiss, is everything okay?"

"Yes, yes, it's nothing like that." The heiress sucked in a deep breath, and began pacing around the small bathroom. "So, uh, there's kind of this thing I've been keeping from you, but I want you to know because we're friends, and I want you to know that I can trust you."

"You don't have to tell me a secret to prove your trust," Ruby assured her, but Weiss held up a hand, cutting her off.

"I know, but I  _want_  to. It's one of those things that if I don't tell you now, you might be confused about in the future... So..." Weiss stopped, and turned toward a mirror above one of the sinks, meeting Ruby's round, silver eyes through her reflection. "I, uh, I'm not interested in Jaune..."

Ruby snorted. "Uh, yeah, I know that. You made that pretty clear the first time you turned him down."

Weiss shook her head. "Yeah, but I'm not interested in him for the reasons you might think... He's a nice guy, a little bit of a klutz, but... I'm just... not interested in guys."

"You mean any of the guys in Vale?"

"No, I mean..." Weiss turned around to face Ruby, her complexion beginning to redden as she gave the smaller girl an uncertain smile. "I'm, uh... I'm attracted to girls."

Ruby's eyes widened as she processed this new information, though it only took her a few moments to realize that what Weiss had just told her actually made a lot of sense. Not only was Weiss not interested in Jaune, but every time Ruby tried to point out a guy she thought was cute to Weiss, the heiress would immediately shoot her down, saying something like, "I don't have time for boys." Even when Weiss still thought Blondie was a guy, as obsessed as she was with the writer, she never once expressed interest in any kind of romantic relationship with "him".

As soon as the initial shock had passed, Ruby let out a quiet huff, causing the heiress's expression to immediately harden. "What?" Weiss asked defensively, crossing her arms.

"Oh, nothing," Ruby said with a laugh. "Just that I should've realized how  _obvious_  it was."

Weiss frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Come on. You've turned down every single guy who's ever expressed interest in you. You're a giant comic book geek, and your favorite series happens to be written by a bisexual in a man's point of view."

"Wait, what?" Weiss took a step back. "Did you just say—"

"Yang's bisexual, you idiot. Not like it's really  _that_  obvious, though, since Yang has practically been allergic to socializing ever since—well, ever since work kind of started sucking for her, but that's not the point." Ruby smirked. "Also, now that I think about it, you  _did_  seem a little into Pyrrha."

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "That's not true! I admire her as a model, and that's it!"

Ruby smiled, and rested a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Relax, I'm just kidding... But seriously, it's not a big deal. I don't have a problem with it, and I'm glad that you told me."

The heiress closed her eyes, and slowly nodded. "I just... I feel stupid for not telling you sooner... But when I saw Cardin pushing that student around the other day—"

"Screw Cardin," Ruby told her. "Look, your secret's safe with me. And if word  _does_  ever make its way back to Cardin, I'll be the first one to defend you."

Weiss smiled. "Thank you, Ruby... That means a lot."

"And it means a lot that you told me." She pulled Weiss into a hug, something the other girl clearly wasn't expecting, because her shoulders immediately tensed underneath the smaller girl's touch. After a moment, however, Weiss returned the embrace, and let out a heavy sigh.

"Thank God that's over with..."

Ruby laughed as she pulled back from Weiss. "Did you really think I was going to judge you?"

"No..." Weiss bit her lip. "I mean, I don't know... I guess it's just sometimes hard to tell with some people, you know? Actually, it was your sister who convinced me to talk to you..."

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? You told my sister, who you've only known for like five days, before you told me?"

"I don't know, there's just something about her... She's just easy to talk to."

"Depends on what day you catch her on," Ruby reminded her. "She's not always sunshine and rainbows, you know."

Weiss shrugged. "Yeah, but who is, really?"

"Uh, hello?" Ruby pointed at herself with a large grin. "I'd like to think I'm pretty awesome."

"And full of yourself." Weiss returned her smile before adjusting the strap of her messenger bag. "Alright, let's get out of here. I'm sure your sister's waiting for us."

Ruby nodded. "So we can talk about the other thing now?"

They walked out of the bathroom together, and started down the hall toward the school's exit, their footsteps in sync. "Which thing?"

"You working for Yang, of course. What'd you tell your dad? And are you excited?"

Weiss grinned. "Well, of course I'm exicted. Blo—Yang is my favorite writer, and she asked  _me_  of all people to be her artist. Talking to my father wasn't exactly easy, though, but there's no way I'm going to tell your sister that."

Ruby frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, as I've told you before, my father doesn't exactly see comics as a very refined form of art. He sees them as a lazy way out of reading and writing, and he doesn't think they're exactly educational." She held the door for Ruby as they made their way outside and to Yang's car parked by the curb. "I had to get my mom to talk to him for me, convince him that it'd be a good experience, and that I wouldn't fall behind on my schoolwork."

"And it worked?"

"Only after about two or three hours of them arguing back and forth." Weiss slowed her pace, allowing Ruby to walk ahead. "If I'd known it'd be that much of a hassle, I probably would have just lied, but even then, they would've found out sooner or later..."

Ruby turned around. "Hey, the fact is that you didn't lie, and you're now going to be able to work with your favorite writer on something you love. Doesn't that count for something?"

Weiss smiled. "Yeah, it's the one thing that I know will make it worthwhile." She caught up with Ruby, who had just reached Yang's car. Weiss hopped into the back seat while Ruby climbed into the passenger's side, and glanced back at her over the headrest.

"Ready to see the inside of Beacon Comics?"

Weiss leaned back in her seat. "Absolutely."

Yang pulled away from the curb, and out of the campus's parking lot. "How was school today?"

"Long," Ruby answered with a groan. "There's this new girl in our art class who's taking Pyrrha's place as model for a couple of months, and she's  _so_  creepy!"

Weiss grunted. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought so."

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "I don't know what it is, but something just seems a little  _off_  about her... It could just be those eyes, but..."

"Well, anyway, it'll only be for a couple of months," Weiss told her. "Who knows, she could actually turn out to be pretty nice."

"Yeah, I guess you're right... Still, she just rubs me the wrong way."

"She sounds like fun," Yang cut in with a smirk. "If she gives you any trouble, let me know, sis, and I'll kick her ass."

Ruby shook her head. "Yeah, uh, I don't think that's a good idea. But thanks."

Her sister smiled. "Anytime." She ruffled Ruby's hair before turning onto the main road, and starting in the direction of the studio. "So, Weiss, did you do that thing...?"

Ruby furrowed her eyebrows. "What thing?" She turned to look back at her friend.

"Yes, I did, Yang." She smiled up at Ruby. "We talked."

"Ohh..." Ruby let out a quiet hum. "Yeah, that. We talked. And we're good."

Yang grinned. "See? I told ya there was nothing to be worried about."

Ruby glanced between Yang and Weiss curiously, wondering why her friend had gone to her sister before she'd gone to Ruby herself. Yang and Ruby weren't  _that_  different, were they? And why was it that every time Weiss was around now, Yang suddenly seemed to be in a much better mood? Was it possible that they actually liked each other?

"Ruby, what did I tell you about not wearing your seatbelt?" Yang snapped at her, breaking her from her reverie. "And turn around. You're going to get me pulled over."

Weiss giggled, causing the brunette to blush. She turned around in her seat, and pulled the belt across her torso, locking it with a click. "Sorry..." She sunk down in her seat, turning her gaze out her window while she let her thoughts run free inside her head. Weiss obviously admired Yang, but that was more than expected from being one of her most loyal fans. Yang, on the other hand, wasn't usually so warm and friendly toward her fans, much less people she barely new, at least not nowadays. So it struck Ruby as strange how quickly her sister was able to let her guard down around Weiss, especially given Weiss's father's reputation for being quite the hard-ass. Ruby knew that Weiss was changing Yang for the better, but she also knew that all it would take to drag her sister back into her workaholic funk was for Weiss to make one simple artistic mistake.

Maybe having Weiss working for Yang wasn't exactly the best idea after all. The last thing Ruby wanted was to lose a friend due to one of Yang's unreasonable outbursts. But she hoped against all odds that Weiss would be the one to finally bring  _Lost & Found_ back to its former glory, and for Yang to finally open herself up again. She hoped Weiss would be the one to steal her sister's heart.

 


	11. Teamwork

"No!"

"Just keep reading."

"No!" Weiss looked up from the stack of papers in her hands at the smirking blonde leaning over her shoulder, trying to process what she had just read. She glanced back at the script, frowning at the first couple of lines that were typed neatly across the first page.  _Aaron Torrez is seen sitting in his cell, his head in his hands as he has just received news that he will be sentenced to death at midnight the next day._

Yang took the script from Weiss and flipped to the very last page before thrusting the papers back into the heiress's hands. "Read."

Weiss sighed, and quickly scanned the last couple of lines.  _Two cops are seen approaching Torrez's cell, their faces concealed._ _Torrez slowly stands from his bunk, and looks sullenly at his escorts. Suddenly, one of the cops elbows the other in the face, knocking him out and taking his keys. The cop is revealed to be Yin, who is there to help Torrez escape._

"Soooo?"

The younger girl laughed. "I should've figured." She flipped back to the first page, and began to read again, this time not allowing herself to be discouraged by the news of Torrez's scheduled execution. When she finished, she handed the script back to Yang, and smiled. "Okay."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Okay?"

"I can do it."

"Of course you can do it. I wouldn't have hired you if I didn't think you could." She stepped back from Weiss, and walked over to the other side of the studio for a chair, since Weiss had already stolen hers. She brought it back to the desk, and sat down beside Weiss. "Question is, how long do you think it'll take to get it done?"

Weiss bit her lip as she mentally noted the amount of panels she'd need to draw. "It depends, really... The most action in this issue takes place before Yin enters the prison, and that's only about five panels' worth. I could get those done first, since they'd take the longest, and once those are finished, the others should come together in no time."

Yang gave her an expectant look. "So, I repeat my question. How long do you think it'll take?"

"I should have it done by Monday... Is that okay?"

"Is that a promise?" The blonde asked her. "Because I'm already stretching my deadline a little. But that's partially my fault for taking so long with the script."

Weiss nodded. "It's alright, I understand. I'll definitely have it done by Monday."

"Awesome." Yang smiled, and leaned back in her chair. "Mind if I watch you for a little bit?"

The heiress let out a hesitant breath. "I, uh, don't usually like it when people watch me draw, but since you're kind of my supervisor, I guess you could..." She looked up at Yang with a mild blush. "Do you have any sheets I could work on, or is my sketchbook okay?"

Yang let out a thoughtful hum before pushing herself forward again, and without warning, reached into the top drawer of her desk. Weiss had to lean back to give the girl enough room to search, but her hands were so close to Weiss's stomach that Weiss found herself holding her breath as she watched Yang dig through a mess of papers and utensils. Finally, the blonde retrieved a small stack of thick, white, blank sheets of paper, and laid them flat on her desk before Weiss.

"Here ya go, Princess," she said nonchalantly, taking her reclining position once more.

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Princess?"

"Oh, uh..." Yang let out a nervous chuckle before giving Weiss a tight smile. "I don't know, Sun has a nickname for you already, so I thought I'd have my own... It's nothing bad, though, just... you kind of look like a princess, ya know, with the white hair and nice clothes and stuff."

Weiss felt her face flush. Usually, when most people referred to her as a "princess", it was because they assumed she was snobby just like a lot of the other members of high society in Upper Vale. Although she didn't exactly like wearing the skirts and dresses her family picked out for her and insisted she wore every single time she left the house, it was nice to know that Yang had actually noticed, and wasn't ridiculing her for sticking out like a sore thumb in the very laid-back atmosphere that surrounded Beacon Comics. "Yeah... that's fine... Thank you."

The older girl let out a sigh of relief. "No problem. So, let's get to work."

"Right." Weiss removed her messenger bag, and pulled out her drawing utensils, laying out a variety of pens and pencils before setting the bag on the floor beside her. She looked up at Yang. "Is... is it okay if I just draw in my usual  _Lost & Found_ style, or is there something else you'd like me to try?"

Yang smiled. "I was actually hoping you'd use your  _L &F_ style. It  _was_  what got me interested in you, you know... Uh, I mean, your drawing, that is..."

The heiress nodded quickly, turning her gaze to the papers in front of her. "Uh huh..." She held Yang's script in her right hand while she picked up a pencil in her left, and began to draw out the basic shapes and outlines she planned on using for her panels, while taking some of Yang's notes. She flipped through the script to the first action scene, and read over it several times before sketching a couple of faceless characters in different poses. "Which one do you like the best?" she asked Yang, glancing up at her mentor.

"Hmmm..." Yang leaned closer to get a better look at the drawings, and studied them for what seemed like forever before clicking her tongue, and pointing to one of the figures. "I like this frame, but I think the two poses should be switched. Instead of having the prison guard attacking Yin, have him block while Yin is clearly overpowering him."

"Got it." Weiss took Yang's direction, and changed poses so that the taller, wider-built figure was standing at a clear advantage over a scrawny security guard, his arms held above his head as Yin twisted toward him with a roundhouse kick. She waited for Yang's approval before she continued on to the next frame, lengthening the action scene by showing Yin in a scuffle with a couple more security guards, taking a couple of hits here and there, but ultimately succeeding in defeating each of them.

"That last one right there is going to be the one he swaps clothes with," Yang commented, pointing at a prison guard with a similar build to Yin who was sprawled out on the ground just outside of the prison's back emergency exit.

"I'll add that part once I've finished the rest of the action. For now, I'll just make a note." She quickly jotted something down along the outer margin of the panel, reminding herself to swap Yin's clothes with the security guard's once she had the chance to revisit the scene. By the time she finished the entire first action sequence, she'd had about a page-and-a-half worth of rough outlines, and an empty stomach. She glanced at the bright, neon clock above Yang's desk, and blinked when she realized that it was already half-past seven. "Damn..."

Yang furrowed her eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

Weiss stretched her arms above her head. "I just didn't realize how late it was..."

"Welcome to the world of writing comics," Yang joked. "Do you need to be home soon?"

"Not until ten. But could we take a break for a little bit...? I'm kind of hungry..."

The blonde frowned, however slightly. "Oh, a break? Yeah, I guess... But then we really do have to get back to work."

"Of course, of course." Weiss gave her an assuring smile. "Don't worry, I don't plan on procrastinating. This is actually one of the first projects I'm wholeheartedly invested in, other than the one Ruby and I did last weekend."

Yang nodded. "Glad to hear it." She pushed herself back from the desk, and rocked forward on her toes as she lifted herself to her feet. "Alright, let's go find Ruby and Blake. They're probably already in the break room."

"And that would be...?"

"Follow me, Princess," Yang said with a smile. Weiss got up from Yang's desk and slowly followed the tall blonde out of the studio. They passed a couple of other employees who gave Yang a strange look as they continued down a long hallway toward a brightly-lit room at the end with quiet music drifting out through the open door. As they drew closer, Weiss began to make out a couple of rows of tables inside the room, some of them seating a couple of Beacon employees munching on various types of dinners while the other tables appeared to be empty. Yang led her past the tables to an open kitchen area complete with a stove, microwave, refrigerator, and popcorn machine. There was a small island in the center of the kitchenette where Ruby and Blake were sitting beside each other, hunched over an open Chemistry book.

Weiss furrowed her eyebrows as she stopped in front of the two girls. "What are you two doing?"

Ruby looked up from the book, and smiled. "Oh, Blakey's helping me study. Chemistry was always my worst subject..."

"Yes, I remember you saying something about that before." Weiss glanced around the kitchen for a moment before hesitantly taking a seat on a stool across from the younger brunette. "So, uh... If I were to eat something—"

"What do you want?" Yang asked her as she shuffled over to the refrigerator. She pulled open the door, and began to search inside, her body blocking the heiress's view of the food inside. "We've got pepperoni pizza, some sandwich meats—bread's on the counter—salad mix, strawberry and banana yogurt, and a bunch of different types of fruit. Oh, and we've got some orange juice and Dr. Piper."

Weiss tried to glance over Yang's shoulder, but couldn't see anything beyond her large frame. She straightened her back, and gave the girl a smile, even though she knew Yang couldn't see it. "I'll just have a sandwich... What types of meats are there?"

Yang turned away from the fridge to glance at Weiss. "There's some ham, turkey, salami, thin-sliced chicken, and we've got provolone and cheddar for cheese."

"Ham and provolone is fine," she told Yang, nodding in appreciation. The blonde removed a bag of ham and package of provolone cheese from the fridge before carrying them over to the counter, and taking out a few slices of bread. "I'll make it for you this time, but next time, you're on your own."

"Oh, I could've made it myself," Weiss insisted, but Yang immediately shook her head.

"You're new here, so you get a free pass. Plus, you'll probably learn pretty soon that I'm not exactly the most fun person to work with."

Blake smirked from across the island. "She's not wrong, you know. I think you might be able to change that, though."

The heiress raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"Oh, just a hunch." Blake watched Ruby jot something down in her notebook before turning back to Weiss. "So, how have your first few hours as  _Lost & Found_'s newest artist been so far?"

Weiss smiled. "They've been pretty great, actually. This script is definitely a game-changer."

Yang glanced at Weiss. "Hey, no spoilers!"

"I know, I know," Weiss assured her.

Blake laughed. "You forget I already know everything that's going to happen anyway, Yang. I've been your idea-bouncer for how many years, now?"

"Shush! I don't pay you to talk!"

The darker-haired girl rolled her eyes. "You don't pay me, Ozpin does. And even if I do talk, you wouldn't get rid of me, anyway."

"Don't challenge me, Belladonna!" Yang joked, giving her a sly grin. She finished making the sandwich, and set it on a paper plate before plopping it down in front of Weiss. "Here ya go."

Weiss nodded, and gratefully accepted the sandwich. "Thank you." She took a timid bite before smiling up at Yang. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Her mentor just shrugged. "I have snacks in my studio that I can munch on while I'm working. I'll grab something when we get back."

"Oh..." The heiress bit her lip. "You don't take a lot of breaks, do you?"

"Are you kidding?" Blake answered for the other girl. "You usually have to practically drag her out of her studio by tooth and nail when she's in the middle of a script. I'm actually quite surprised you managed to lure her out."

"I was showing her the break room," Yang defended. "And I'm not  _always_  that stubborn... I think you're trying to get Weiss to quit on me before she's even really started."

Blake shook her head. "Believe me, that's the last thing I want. I think Weiss is good for you... I, uh, mean, good for  _Lost & Found_..."

Weiss's face slightly reddened at Blake's ill phrasing, and she quickly took another bite of her sandwich to prevent her from having to talk.

"Uh, Blakey? Can you help me with this one?" Ruby interrupted, her own cheeks showing a little color as her silver eyes met Weiss's. She slid her book toward Blake and pointed at a giant paragraph followed by what appeared to be an equation. "Which one of these is relevant to the text?"

Blake scanned the page for a moment before picking up a pen and underlining a couple of words in the book. "It's in here somewhere, but you have to look at the equation and try to figure it out for yourself. Once you find the definition, you'll figure out what unit of measurement you need to complete the equation."

Weiss let out a thoughtful hum. "Hey, Blake? Can I ask you something?"

The older girl looked up at her with cautious, amber eyes. "Oh, um, sure?"

"What is someone with your intelligence doing working as an assistant in a comic book studio? Wouldn't you rather be studying at a medical school, or something?"

Blake let out a short sigh. "Oh... No, see, I'm not really  _that_  into Chemistry. I'm just good at remembering things, which is precisely why I'm working for Yang... I remember all of the important dates and details that she's either forgotten or is too stubborn to try to remember. I'm the one who makes sure she gets everything finished by her deadline so Ozpin doesn't drag himself down here and beat her ass."

Weiss frowned. "Doesn't Ozpin work here, too?"

"He does, but he's usually out of town scouting for new writers and artists," Yang explained, finally allowing herself to take a seat. She lowered herself to the stool beside Weiss. "Ozpin's office is on the other side of the building where all of those enlarged comic book covers are framed on the walls. He's rarely ever in it, though, so don't go looking for him."

"Oh... So, does he know I'm working for you?"

Yang gave her an unconvincing smile. "I, uh... maybe?"

Blake slapped Yang from across the counter top. "I told you to tell him this morning!"

"That's  _your_  job... My job is to get the work done and make sure Ozpin doesn't yell at me..."

Weiss sunk worriedly in her seat. "Is... is he going to be mad? Because I don't want to cause any trouble—"

"Don't worry about it, Weiss," Yang assured her with a small smile. "He's going to get over it the minute he sees how great your panels are... Actually, the sooner we get one of those action scenes done, the sooner I could send a scan to Ozpin and convince him you're right for the job... That way, we can both save our asses by getting him on your side  _before_  he finds out I went behind his back."

The heiress gave her an uncertain look. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Blake cleared her throat, and Weiss turned her attention to the older girl. "She's right, you have nothing to worry about. Yang gets to take responsibility for this one."

"I  _do_  take full responsibility for her, and I don't regret it for one second." Yang turned to Weiss, and grinned. "Almost done? I want to try to get that first action scene inked and scanned before night's end."

Weiss nodded, and quickly finished her sandwich. She got up from her stool and walked over to Ruby before joining Yang. "You know, if ever need help studying and Blake isn't available, I'd be more than willing to help."

Ruby looked up at her with a smile. "Thanks, Weiss. I'll keep that in mind." She returned to her homework and quietly worked while Weiss walked back over to Yang, and followed her out of the break room. Yang led her back to Blondie's studio where Weiss took her seat at Yang's desk again, while Yang sat down next to her to supervise her work.

Weiss picked up her panels and glanced over them before turning to Yang. "So do you want me to continue working on the other scenes, or do you want me to ink this one first just so you have something to send?"

"The latter," Yang said, leaning back in her chair. "Are you going to use those colors you use for your original panels?"

"That's the plan, unless you'd like me to do something a little different."

"Nah, I kind of like the way you took Junior's style and made it your own."

Weiss gave Yang a questioning look. "Can I ask you something?"

Yang sighed. "It's about Junior, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah, kind of..." She shrugged. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, I've just always been curious... Why did he drop out of  _Lost & Found_?"

The blonde sucked in her bottom lip, letting her gaze wander around the studio as she let out a thoughtful hum. "Honestly... I don't know. Everything was perfectly fine, or at least I thought. One day, I came into work, and Junior wasn't there, and I tried calling him, but he never responded... I had to find out from Ozpin that he quit, and then a couple of weeks later, a new title was released by Wick-ed Comics with Junior's name on it... I've tried reaching out to him a bunch of times, but he's rejected every attempt."

Weiss frowned. "I'm... sorry. It almost makes me feel bad for admiring his style so much..."

Yang shook her head. "No, if there's one good thing I can say about Junior, it's that he's pretty much an artistic genius. It'd be a shame if an aspiring panelist  _didn't_  recognize that... I just... I didn't think he'd just blow me off like that."

"I... don't know what to say, other than that I'm sorry." Weiss turned back to her sketches, and slowly began to trace over the outlines in a fine-point pen, listening to Yang's short breaths beside her as the older girl continued to get lost in her thoughts. Once she had finished inking the first panel, she slowly pushed the paper toward Yang. "So, uh, how does this look?"

"Huh?" Yang blinked down at Weiss, and glanced down at the piece of paper. "Oh... Yeah, that looks great. Keep going."

Weiss nodded. "I'm sorry I brought it up... The Hei Xiong stuff..."

"It's Junior," Yang corrected her. "And don't worry about it... Just, let's focus on getting these panels done, okay?"

"Alright." Weiss gave her a small, sympathetic smile before returning to her work, engrossing sherself in the story before her as she tried to ignore the uneasy feeling welling in her stomach as Yang sat right beside her, there in presence, but not in mind. If all it took was a mere mention of Yang's former artist to cause the girl to become withdrawn, then what would happen if Ozpin told Weiss she would no longer be able to work for  _Lost & Found_? The last thing she wanted was for her dream to end before it had even really begun.


	12. Snow Place Like the Zoo

Yang rolled her eyes for about the fourth time as she listened to the impatient thump-thump-thump of her sister kicking the back of the blonde's chair. Despite Ruby's protests, Yang found it difficult to keep her eyes off of the white-haired girl sitting quietly beside her, hard at work on yet another panel. In just a two-day period, Weiss had managed to finish sketching and inking each of the action scenes, and all she had left to do was add the character expositions and dialogue from the beginning and ending of the assigned issue.

At first, Yang had been a little hesitant about her decision, unsure if Weiss would be able to complete her tasks in the small time-frame she was given, especially since Yang knew the heiress also had schoolwork and other art projects that were arguably more important than Lost & Found. But Weiss had more than proved her dedication to the book when she insisted on coming to work on a Sunday morning, even though Yang had willingly given her the day off, and had already made her own plans with Ruby and Sun to go to the zoo.

"Siiissss, they're going to be here any minute!" Ruby reminded her once more, this time pulling back on the chair so that when the small brunette dragged it across the studio, Yang found herself being moved along with it. She laughed as she turned around to face her sister.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming," she assured her, planting her feet firmly on the floor to prevent Ruby from pulling her any farther. She stood up, and playfully ruffled Ruby's hair, causing the girl to wince.

Ruby quickly combed her fingers through her red-streaked hair, making sure each strand was back in place before looking up at Yang with a pout. "I thought we agreed you wouldn't do that anymore."

Yang chuckled. "Actually, sis, we didn't agree on anything. You talked, I listened, but never gave you an answer."

The brunette just sighed. "Well, please don't. At least not today."

Weiss lifted her head, the first sign of interest the heiress had shown all day, and she glanced back at Ruby with a raised brow. "Oh? What's so special about today?"

"Absolutely nothing!" Ruby exclaimed quickly, crossing her arms. "I just haven't been to the zoo in a while, that's all..."

Yang smirked. "More like she's trying to impress a certain someone."

"Shut up! You don't know anything!" Ruby shoved Yang's chair back into its place at the desk beside Weiss, and gave her friend a small smile. "Anyway, I'm going to go out front to wait for Sun and Blake. Good luck on the panel!"

Weiss returned her smile. "Thank you. Have fun at the zoo."

Ruby nodded before hastily making her way over to the door just as it was being opened. Sun stormed into the studio with a grin as Blake followed contently behind him. Ruby's silver eyes lit up as Sun held up a fist, and the brunette happily bumped it with her own. "You guys made it just in time!"

"Yeah, Little Miss Impatient here wouldn't stop kicking my chair," Yang joked, to which Blake immediately directed her attention to Ruby.

"Only because you were breathing down Weiss's neck!" Ruby added defensively.

Yang frowned, and glanced over at Weiss, who had noticeably begun to shrink in her chair. "Oh, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Weiss shook her head. "No, you're fine! I actually don't mind the company." She turned back around in her seat, and turned her attention back to her work. "Anyway, you four should be going, right?"

"Three," Blake corrected her. "I'll be staying here with you."

"Oh." Weiss glanced up at her with a small smile. "Okay. Cool."

Blake gave her a short nod before casting her gaze toward Sun. "Alright, I'm trusting you to keep these two in line."

Sun and Ruby exchanged a look before both broke out into laughter. "Ah, that's a good one, Blakey!"

The older girl rolled her eyes with a smirk. "I'm serious; I'm counting on you, Sun."

He gave her a challenging look. "And if something goes wrong?"

"Then you're paying my rent for the next two months," she told the Faunus with a small, victorious smile. Sun held her amber gaze for a long moment before finally breaking away, and giving her an assuring nod.

"Can't argue with that," he said with a shrug. "Your wish is my command." He gave Blake a light pat on the shoulder before waving at Weiss from across the room. "Welp, good luck, Ice Queen! Try not to have too much fun with Blakey while we're gone!"

Yang tossed Ruby her keys. "I'll be right out. Start the car, but don't get any ideas about taking off in it."

Ruby grinned. "Aye-aye!" She followed Sun out of the studio, and Yang turned back to face her assistant and artist. "Okay, you two, have fun. If either of you need anything, you know my number." She leaned into Blake as Weiss resumed working on her panels. "Be easy on her, okay? Don't be so guarded."

Blake sighed. "I'm here for work, that's it. And to keep her company. God knows it can get pretty lonely around here on a Sunday."

"I know that. And I appreciate you sticking it out with her." She smiled before giving Blake a quick hug. "See ya later."

Yang left the studio behind Ruby and Sun, making sure to stay at least three feet away at all times, not wanting to crowd her sister and friend. She listened happily as the two chatted about parkour and the upcoming Proto-Smashers movie that both were excited to see. Yang sometimes had difficulty understanding how Ruby showed so little interest in Yang's own detective comics, yet when it came to anything involving superheroes, her sister would obsess over them for days on end. Then again, Proto-Smashers was much more lighthearted than Lost & Found, and it was possible Ruby just wasn't mature enough yet to understand the more adult-oriented content in Yang's books. Still, it was a slight punch to Yang's ego hearing her sister talk about anything but Lost & Found, especially when the blonde tried to go out of her way to make sure she expressed interest in Ruby's own artwork.

She shrugged it off as she hopped into the driver's seat of her car, Ruby having already moved to the back seat with Sun, as always. Yang switched on her stereo to low, and quietly hummed along to the music as she pulled out of Beacon's parking lot, and started toward the zoo.

"Did you see what E-On did to the Jest in that last book?" Sun asked enthusiastically as he and Ruby continued to talk about their favorite superheroes. "It was crazy! I thought he—"

"Shh, no spoilers!" Ruby warned him. "I didn't finish it yet! I only just got to the part where Xyon saved that girl, and she started following him around like a lost puppy."

Yang glanced up at Ruby through the rear view mirror with a quirked eyebrow. The brunette ignored her as she kept her attention on the blonde boy beside her.

"Yeah, I understand why she did, though," he told Ruby. "If a super awesome hero just saved my life, I'd probably start following them around, too. Besides, he was totally crushing on her back. Who wouldn't, though? She was cute."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "I guess so..."

Yang cleared her throat, grabbing her sister's attention. Silver met lilac, and Yang grinned before giving her a knowing wink. Ruby slightly sunk back in her seat, hiding a blush as she quickly turned her attention back to Sun. Yang chuckled to herself as she returned her gaze to the road before her.

"So when the movie comes out, we're seeing it together, right?" Sun asked Ruby. "I mean, with Neptune, of course, because he wants to see it, too."

"Well, duh. You guys are like the only people I know who actually like that kind of stuff. Besides my classmate Jaune, but he's busy with the school musical."

Sun snickered. "School musical?"

Yang nudged the dial on her stereo, turning up the volume just enough to tune out her sister and Sun, but not enough to completely drown out their voices. She smiled to herself as she continued down the street, the zoo's grand entrance eventually coming into view a few minutes later. The sign was as beautiful as always, with huge, gold-painted letters engraved into an arch that read Vale City Zoo, and loomed high above some decorative trees that were planted along the main entrance.

"Hey! We're here!" Ruby exclaimed excitedly as Yang pulled into the parking lot.

"Wow... It looks pretty packed today..." Yang observed as she went up and down the rows of cars, searching for a place to park.

Sun leaned forward and pointed out an empty spot a few rows away from the gate. "Employee Parking's over there. As long as you're with me, no one will question you."

Yang clicked her tongue. "Sounds good to me." She pulled into a spot next to a red, apple-colored motorcycle that had a pair of yellow-tinted riding goggles locked around one of the handlebars. "I see Neptune's bike hasn't changed much."

"Well, besides the new motor and music system he installed last month, nope, it's still practically the same." Sun pushed open his door almost as soon as the car came to a stop, and he turned to Ruby with an expectant grin. "Come on, Rose!"

"No, that's okay, don't wait for me..." Yang said sarcastically as Ruby started to open her own door. The younger girl gave her a guilty smile before getting out of the car, and waiting outside with Sun. Yang removed her keys and slowly stepped out of the vehicle, taking her time locking the doors and stuffing her keys into the pocket of her light leather jacket. "Alright, now we can go."

Ruby excitedly grabbed her sister by the wrist, and started to yank her toward the entrance, Yang laughing as she purposely slowed her pace. Sun walked beside Ruby, his tail waving happily behind him in rhythm to his steps, and once they reached the entrance, he pulled out his Employee Identification card, flashing it at the ticket attendant.

"These two are with me," he told the attendant, who smiled and nodded before presenting them with a stamp. Sun nodded at Ruby and Yang. "Hands out, guys."

Ruby let go of Yang's wrist, and offered her hand to the attendant, who stamped it with a little pink monkey. Yang then did the same, and Sun led them through the gate, his employee card hanging around his neck from a lanyard. Ruby glanced down at the stamp on the back of her hand, and gently rubbed her thumb across her skin. "When did they start doing this?"

"Oh, it's for friends and family of employees, only," Sun explained. "They've always done it, but you guys haven't exactly come around often since Nep and I started working here."

Yang gave the monkey boy a half-smile. "Yeah, that's partially my fault... Sorry about that."

Sun just shrugged. "I understand. I know this past year has kind of sucked for you."

"Well, let's hope Weiss will change that," Yang said with a huff.

"She will," Ruby told her confidently, once again reaching for Yang's hand. "Now, come on, less talking, more walking!"

The blonde shook her head. "You're starting to turn into Blake with demanding attitude."

"Nah, Blakey's much more convincing," Sun said with a chuckle. He elbowed Ruby playfully in the side. "Hey, did I tell you Momo and Sheila had a baby? He's a couple of months old by now, but still little."

Ruby smiled. "Yep, you told me. I never got to see him, though."

Sun and Ruby quickly ran ahead to the monkeys exhibit, Yang rolling her eyes as she tried to keep up, silently wondering to herself why Ruby wanted her to come along so badly if she was going to spend the entire day paying more attention to their friend than her own sister. She laughed it off as they stopped in front of the Capuchin Monkeys cage, and Sun whistled to get their attention. One of the adult monkeys looked up from the branch from which it was perched, and instantly hopped over to the edge of the cage where Sun was standing.

"Hey, Momo! I brought some old friends!"

The monkey stuck his nose out between the bars and curiously started to sniff around Ruby and Yang. It let out an excited squeak before jumping back into the tree, and getting the other adult's attention. The other monkey—a female—was carrying a smaller monkey on its back, and the three made their way back over to Sun, Ruby, and Yang.

"Awww, he's so cute!" Ruby said as she admired the tiny monkey on its mother's back. "Does he have a name yet?"

Sun nodded as he reached in through the bars to pat the baby on the head. He then shot Ruby and Yang a serious look. "By the way, visitors aren't supposed to stick their hands into the animals' cages. I'm only doing it because I know the monkeys trust me, and because my Employee Badge is visible to all visitors."

Yang let out a pleased hum, glad to see that Sun took his job and the visitors' safety seriously, even while he was off-duty. She smiled up at the monkeys. "Hello, little guy."

"Oh, and his name is Kiri," Sun added. He removed his hand from the cage, and turned to Ruby with a smile. "He's a serious Momma's Boy. Won't go anywhere without her, and he likes to try to tackle her while she's asleep."

Ruby giggled. "That's adorable. But you know, Daddy's Girls are awesome, too."

"Well, duh. Why do you think I hang out with you two?"

Yang snorted. "Okay, monkey boy, if you're going to butter us up, why don't you go buy us some popcorn?"

"Actually, I don't have to," he said, brushing his hand through his shaggy hair mockingly. "All employees get two free snacks a day, even on their days off."

"It must be nice to employed," Ruby said in a low voice. "You get to work with the animals, eat free food, and you even get paid."

Sun shrugged. "I'm just lucky, I guess. Not everyone gets to work a job they love. I mean, there are still things I don't like about it, like having to clean up the elephant cages every so often, but that comes with every job. Blondie, here, has a very strong love-hate relationship with her job."

Ruby smirked. "Believe me, I've noticed..."

"Uh, guys? I'm right here..." Yang crossed her arms. "But, you know, I could always go find Neptune if you two would rather have fun on your own."

"Hey, don't be like that." Ruby smiled up at her sister, and grabbed her wrist once more. "Come on, let's go check out the lions. I know how much you love them."

Yang grinned as she felt herself being tugged away from the monkeys. Sun quickly followed behind, and soon, the three were at the lions' den. Yang pressed her palms against the glass as she peered down into the large, enclosed habitat, and searched the rocks and trees for her favorite lion. She spotted him—the only male lion that didn't have a mane—laying down on top of a rock underneath a tall, shady tree, his face buried in his paws as he slept. She located that familiar split in the top of his right ear, an injury that he had received when he was a cub from being attacked by a group of larger lions at his former zoo. The Vale City zookeeper took pity on the cub and brought him to Vale, where the lions were much more welcoming toward the timid cub.

Now, the cub had grown into a fine adult male, and although he still kept his distance from the other lions, it was his aloofness that had drawn Yang to him so many years ago. She knew the look of abandonment in his eyes that she had seen on her own father's face a few times before, but despite his harrowing past, he was strong and humble, and friendly toward those who came to visit him.

"Hey, buddy," she whispered as she tapped gently against the glass, knowing he couldn't hear her, but she took comfort in knowing that he was calm. Over the years, Yang had grown especially fond of the lion, having always been there for her like a faithful companion whenever she needed his company most. She remembered a time when she was fifteen that she had taken a bus to the zoo after a particularly stressful day at school, and when she visited the den, her lion was right there, rubbing his nose against the glance as if to assure Yang that everything would eventually be alright.

She was just about to ask Sun how the other lions had been treating her pal when she turned to find a tall, blue-haired boy letting out an uumph as he crashed into the trunk of a nearby tree. He dropped a basin of food pellets that proceeded to spill out all over the ground, and Sun sighed as he walked over to assist the boy. Yang and Ruby quickly followed, both girls giggling at the sight of their friend sprawled out on the ground.

"That's quite a way to make an entrance, Neptune," Yang joked as she offered him a hand, and helped him up to his feet.

He shook his head, and brushed himself off while Ruby and Sun scooped the food back into its tub. "Yeah, yeah, I just wasn't expecting to see you here, that's all."

"Hmm, Sun didn't give ya the heads' up?"

Neptune readjusted the collar of his uniform, and cleared his throat. "Nope. I didn't hear a word about it." He glanced down at Ruby and Sun before propping an arm against the bark of the tree. "So I guess this means you're finally out of your funk, right?"

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Maybe I just wanted to spend some time with my little sis."

"Sun told me you finally found an artist you're happy with," Neptune continued. "I have to ask, why is this one so special?"

Yang's eyes widened as she processed her friend's question, and she instantly felt her face flush at the thought of Weiss. "I, uh... Well, for one, her art style is incredible. It's a lot like Junior's, except with her own twist, and it definitely fits the mood I'm looking for. Second, she's a huge fan of the book, and she knows the characters almost as well as I know them myself."

"She sounds like a winner," the blue-haired boy said with a smirk. "I'm glad you finally found someone you like. These lions here have been missing the hell out of you."

Sun glanced up at Neptune. "Hey, man, if you don't mind, would you give us a hand here? This is kind of your mess."

Neptune coughed. "Oh, right, yeah." He took over Ruby's position, and helped Sun clean up as many pellets as they could. Once they were finished, Neptune took the basin, and held it securely against his chest. "Alright, I should be off to feed the exotic birds. Here's hoping I don't get pooped on again."

"Here, I'll help." Sun took the basin from Neptune. "The birds are on a schedule, and you're already behind."

"Hey! I didn't put that tree there!" He slowly started to walk off toward the bird exhibit. "You ladies coming with?"

Ruby grinned. "Oh! Yeah!" Yang silently agreed, and followed her sister and friends toward the exotic birds on the other side of the zoo, Neptune continually reaching for the food only for Sun to pull it out of his reach. Ruby giggled as she and Yang watched the two boys fight over the task, Sun taking the lead even though it was his day off. They stopped outside the entrance to the exhibit where Sun and Neptune both pulled on protective gloves and safari-style hats from an Employees Only rack by the door. Sun then zipped up his Vale City Zoo jacket, and headed inside.

Neptune, Ruby, and Yang followed nonchalantly as they stopped at the first giant, spacial glass display. Neptune fished out a set of keys from his pocket, and unlocked another door leading into the enclosed space. He whistled out as he stepped inside, and birds of various sizes and colors came out from hiding and into the open. Sun followed Neptune inside and closed the door behind him, and Ruby and Yang watched from outside of the glass as Sun began to fill little fruit-shaped dishes with the pellets. Neptune caught a couple of parakeets on one of his arms, and carried them over to a dish, where the birds promptly flew off and began to nibble at the fresh—or, well, as fresh as dry pellets could be—food.

"Rita!" Sun called out as he continued to fill the dishes, occasionally stopping to dump some pellets into his palms, and allowing some of the birds to eat from his hands. He searched the exhibit until an extravagant bird of reds, yellows, and blues flew toward him, swooshing over Neptune's head and causing the taller boy to duck. Sun held out his arm for the bird as it caught the sleeve of his jacket, and slowly began to climb up to his shoulder. Sun grinned, and gently patted the bird on the head as he carried it over to the glass where Ruby and Yang were still watching, the younger girl's silver eyes gleaming in awe.

Ruby pressed her nose to the glass to get a better look at the bird. "Ooooh! It's a parrot!"

Sun nodded. "Yep. Her name's Rita. We've had her for a couple of months, now." He turned to the bird with a smile. "Show her your tricks, Rita."

"Show her your tricks, Rita," the bird echoed in a mocking, tinny voice.

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Impressive. But can't all parrots speak?"

"Uh, uh, uh," Sun said, shaking his head. "That isn't the only thing that she can do. Rita, dance."

The parrot detached herself from Sun's shoulder, and flew up a few feet above his head before spreading her wings and circling around Sun in a practiced spiral. Once she reached his feet, she dove back up and took her place on his shoulder. "Dance, dance, baby."

Yang laughed. "Okay, that's pretty great! Rita, what else can you do?"

Sun whispered something to the bird, and she took off again, flying towards Neptune, who once again ducked for cover as he saw her coming.

"No, no!" he shouted, throwing his gloved hands up over his hat as the bird stopped right above his head and covered him in poop. "Ugh, not again! SUN!"

Ruby and Yang both burst into laughter as Rita flew back over to Sun and the girls. Neptune angrily began to wipe the poop from his hat with the backs of his gloves while Sun chuckled, and gently fluffed the bird's feathers.

"Stupid boy," Rita chirped. "Stupid boy."

Yang held a hand up to the glass near where Rita was perched. "Okay, you've sold me. She's the best."

"You must spend a lot of time with her," Ruby added. "It's like she knows you inside-out."

Sun flashed her a toothy grin. "You know it, Rose. Rita here's my best pal, right, girl?"

Instead of answering, Rita fluttered down from Sun's shoulder, and walked over to a dish that the boy had just refilled. She started to contently nibble at the food while Sun lowered the basin to the ground.

"Alright, Neptune, they're all yours! Catch you around, man!"

Neptune groaned. "Gee, thanks, bro." He walked over to the basin and continued to fill the dishes while Sun exited the display and returned his gear to the employee rack. Ruby and Yang followed him out, and they continued to walk around the zoo for the remainder of the day, at one point stopping for that popcorn Sun had promised.

Yang couldn't help but notice how happy Ruby was the entire time they were there, chatting up Sun and admiring each of the animals, greeting those she hadn't seen in months, as well as introducing herself to the new ones she had yet to meet. She even noticed how Ruby had refused to share a popcorn with Yang, yet willingly dipped her fingers into Sun's, coming up with some excuse about how the attendant at the snack bar had given Sun extra butter, and how Yang's had come out "too dry". It was evident that half the reason Ruby wanted to come to the zoo in the first place was to spend time with Sun, and while Yang knew he was the first real friend Ruby had ever made on her own, she had a feeling that her little sister saw him as more than just that.

But does he feel the same way? Yang asked herself as she followed them to one last exhibit, her mind too preoccupied to realize that she was walking into a completely new territory of the zoo. She only looked up when the air started to feel a bit cooler, and the building Sun was leading them into seemed much darker than most of the other exhibits at the zoo. Icebergs and glaciers were painted along the walls of the long hallway, glitter sprinkled about to give the paintings a more realistic glow in the artificial lighting that hung from above. Weird... When did this exhibit get here?

"I was hoping to have Blakey and the new girl with us when I showed you guys this, but..." Sun said as he led them around another corner and to a large, globe-shaped, ice-filled glass case. Inside was a frozen habitat closed off from the rest of the zoo, complete with a small pond that appeared to house a school of fish. Inside of a tunnel built of snow and ice, a family of polar bears could be seen moving around, two cubs playfully chasing each other and jumping over the adults—presumably their parents—to get their attention. "Welcome to the Snow Dome."

Yang's eyes widened as she gazed at the beautiful creatures below, their coats so white and pristine, and their little bodies so filled with energy. "They're... so... cute!"

"The zoo wants to expand this exhibit to include penguins, sea lions, and other arctic animals in the future, but for now, the polar bears have been a great attraction." Sun smiled as he leaned against the glass. "This family of bears was rescued from an isolated oil spill on one of the polar ice caps near the Atlesian oil rigs. They've only been here about three weeks, but they've taken to the habitat like it's their home."

Ruby glanced up at Sun. "Wow, you really know your stuff. And to think you were just a pooper scooper."

He gave her a mock-hurt expression. "Rose, is that really what you think of me?"

"Well, maybe not you, but Neptune totally has the being pooped on part down."

Sun laughed, and Yang once again tuned the two of them out as she continued to watch the cubs in curiosity, one following around the other as it attempted to copy its companion's every move. She admired the way the cubs seemed to learn from each other, never turning the other away even as one would do something rash, like bat the other over the head, or trick each other into slipping into the icy pool below. Something about the white in their fur, and the determination in their youthful eyes, reminded Yang of the heiress back at Beacon Studios, so small, and so delicate, yet so full of energy and motivation to bring Lost & Found to its former glory. And that thought alone was enough to bring a smile to the blonde's face for the remainder of the day, like a promise she herself would make to learn from Weiss, and to never turn her back on true talent again.

"So, what do you guys think?" Sun asked after a few moments, his words barely registering in Yang's mind as she allowed herself to get lost in the extraordinary world before her.

She let out a single, lighthearted breath. "I love it..."


	13. A Little Less Conversation...

_Don't be so guarded._

Just four words; simple advice, really. At least it would've been simple had it not been directed toward Blake. She had spent the last couple years of her life breaking down the walls she'd built during her early childhood, and it was still almost shocking to Blake how quickly she was able to undo all of her progress in just a little over a week. She wasn't even exactly sure  _why_ she'd built them up again in the first place, just that it only seemed to happen whenever she shared the same space as Weiss.

But she couldn't keep Yang waiting. Instead of pressing the matter-it would've caused more harm than good, anyway-Blake let out a compromised sigh. "I'm here for work, that's it."

Yang quirked an eyebrow in a way that suggested she knew Blake wasn't quite telling the truth, but before the blonde could interject, Blake quickly weighed her options, and gave Yang a halfhearted smile. "And to keep her company," she added, glancing cautiously at Weiss, who had returned to her panels, and didn't seem to be paying any attention to either girl. "God knows it can get pretty lonely around here on a Sunday."

"I know that. And I appreciate you sticking it out with her."

Blake turned back to Yang just as she felt herself being pulled into a tight hug, the first real embrace she'd received in a couple of months, a sign that Yang was finally starting to revert back to her old self. Even though Blake would've much rather spent the day at the zoo with her friends than babysitting Weiss, it was a rather small price to pay to see Yang slowly coming out of her slump. She was about to return the hug when Yang suddenly pulled away, and looked down at her with a warm smile.

"See ya later." Yang left the studio almost as quickly as she'd said goodbye. She had a habit of doing that. Intentionally leaving Blake with the person she was avoiding, forcing her to actually spend time with them. It had been effective in the past - hell, it was how she and Neptune first hung out absent Ruby, Sun or Yang. Right now, however, it seemed that trend would be bucked as Blake merely stood staring at the open door, suddenly panicked at exactly what lay ahead. It wasn't until even the sounds of Ruby and Sun chatting away became a distant echo from down the hall that she finally accepted the fact she'd be spending the rest of the day alone…. or, rather, alone with a Schnee.

 _Yeah… See ya…_ Blake sucked in a deep breath, and faced Weiss once more, relieved to see that the heiress was still hard at work. She took a single step in the young artist's direction before she paused, and allowed a moment to watch Weiss carefully dot a five o'clock shadow along Torrez's clenched jaw. Having seen Ruby struggle with such a technique for months back when Blake and Yang were her only critics, Blake knew it took a lot of time, concentration, and sometimes frustration to draw something that even remotely resembled facial hair, but Weiss made it look almost as easy as a second-grade art project.

If only she could bring herself to give the girl a simple compliment… But what if Blake said one thing, and suddenly Weiss expected more? She wasn't looking for any more friends, and starting a conversation now while Weiss was supposed to be working would only impede her progress, something Blake knew Yang-or at least Blondie-would never stand for. What would she say, anyway? " _Hey, nice facial hair._ " There was no way that would've gone over well.

After watching her silently for a little longer than seemed appropriate, Blake forced her gaze away from Weiss, and directed it toward the other side of the room where Yang had set up a small, leather loveseat and matching chair that had become an overnight resting area for Yang on more occasions than she liked to admit. Blake walked over to a bookcase against the far side of the wall where Yang kept most of her graphic novels and light reading material for when she needed a sudden burst of inspiration. She picked up a book titled  _These Ghosts of Mine_ , and brought it over to the loveseat where she still had a good view of Weiss should the heiress decide she needed Blake's assistance.

It wasn't her first time reading that book. Out of all of Yang's reading material-or at least the ones she kept in her studio- _These Ghosts of Mine_ was probably the most peculiar of the bunch. Rather than revolving around one single plot or character, it contained multiple short murder mysteries that all took place in the same town, said to be haunted by the victims of several unsolved and seemingly-unrelated murders. Yang, Blake, and every other student at Vale City Middle School had received the same exact book from their seventh-grade literature teacher, and while most students had long since forgotten it, Yang had, for some reason, held onto it ever since, creasing the corners of her favorite stories, and highlighting different passages that never seemed to connect.

 _Damn it, Yang_ , Blake thought to herself as she opened the book to a creased page somewhere towards the middle of the compilation. Immediately, Blake's eyes were assaulted by almost a page's worth of blinding, yellow highlighter, and she had to squint in order to adjust her vision to the sudden contrast between the text and the coarse paper. " _...Even after the crime scene tape had been removed, and the police had deemed Byron's death a suicide, Ayana was yet to be convinced that her husband would ever leave her in such a drastic way-that he would ever leave her at all. They'd been happy together since the day they met back in their final year of college, and they had been just a week away from their tenth wedding anniversary when Byron's body had been discovered on the side of the road…"_

There was nothing particularly extraordinary about the stories, and most of the murders could easily be solved if the reader was smart enough to look between the lines, but Blake always found herself picking up the same book, if only because she was convinced Yang was onto something with all of her haphazardous note-taking. Hell, the girl wrote detective noir comics for a living-if there was one thing Yang loved more than anything in the world, it was solving a mystery, no matter how cheesy or miniscule it may have been.

Blake was half-way through trying to decipher Yang's second series of chicken-scratch when she heard a small grunt of pain coming from the other side of the room. She glanced up at Weiss over the top of her book, only to see the younger girl wringing her right hand around her left wrist. It was the perfect opportunity to ask Weiss if she was doing okay, but for some reason, Blake still hadn't gotten over her initial anxiety, and still found herself at a loss for words. Instead, she watched as Weiss gently shook out any cramps in her dominant hand, and went right back to work.

 _Oh?_ Blake raised a curious eyebrow as she continued to examine Weiss, a little surprised that she hadn't noticed sooner that the heiress was left-handed, a trait she didn't see too often in the other artists at Beacon. Not that it was a big deal, of course, but Blake found it almost unsettling how little she bothered to pay attention to Weiss in the few days she'd been working for Yang. She hated being the type of person to hold a grudge against someone for no reason, and though she wouldn't exactly call her feelings toward Weiss a  _grudge_ , Blake was more than aware that she wasn't exactly being the most welcoming of people.

She returned her gaze to her book after another few moments of undisturbed silence, and sighed to herself as she flipped through a couple of passages Yang hadn't yet given the highlighter treatment. One of the stories was about a teenager who had gone missing one afternoon while on vacation with his parents, and about a month later, the parents received a package containing the severed head of their son. Attached was a typed note that simply read, " _Shark Bait,"_ and after sweeping the island the family had visited for evidence, the police came up empty-handed and declared the case closed. A year later, on the anniversary of the boy's disappearance, the parents returned to the island to pay their respects, only to find a memorial had been built by the shore where their son had last been seen. On the corner of a wooden pedestal where a "Missing" poster was tacked in place hung a baseball cap with the logo of the boy's favorite team. The father picked it up and a note fell into his palm, the final words written across the page, " _If only he knew how to swim."_

Blake couldn't help but roll her eyes at the cliche ending, glad to note it wasn't one of the stories that Yang had taken particular interest in. She set down the book and glanced at her Scroll, blinking at the time on her screen.  _Almost noon already?_ She looked back up at Weiss, who, unsurprisingly, was still hard at work.  _Doesn't she ever stop to take a break?_

As small as she was, Weiss certainly seemed to have quite the endurance. Not only that, but she was a Schnee, which meant  _of course_ she had a great work ethic. But something about actually seeing her in action, pushing herself past her body's limit just to finish what she started, set Blake at unease. It wasn't natural for someone to work so long without any type of break, especially when that person was clearly in pain. Blake took note of the way Weiss's grip clenched around her pen every couple of minutes, an obvious sign that the girl's hand was still cramping, and if she continued for much longer, she probably wouldn't have much use of her hand the following day.

 _Shit_. Blake pushed herself up from the loveseat, and took a few hesitant steps in the other girl's direction. "Weiss?"

The heiress tensed at the sudden noise, and whipped around in her seat to face Blake. "Is something wrong?"

Blake met the smaller girl's worried, ice-blue gaze. "It's almost time for lunch," she stated.

"O-oh." Weiss sighed, and glanced back at the pile of drawings in front of her. "Well, I've only got a little bit left to complete, so-"

"What do you want?"

Weiss blinked. "You don't have to-"

"It's fine," Blake said, her tone even. "Yang would never forgive me if I let her new artist starve during her first week on the job." She attempted a smile, not entirely sure why it was so hard to remain composed in the heiress's presence. "So what do you want?"

"Um…" Weiss bit her lip. "A sandwich is fine, I guess."

"Same as the other day?" Blake asked.

She nodded, and offered Blake a small smile. "Thank you."

"Yep." Blake quickly left the studio and started for the kitchen, silently cursing herself for her cold response.  _Yep? Really, Belladonna?_ She shook her head as she pried open the refrigerator, and began searching around for the ham and cheese. When she found the designated products, she brought them over to the counter, and began slapping several slices of each onto two pieces of bread.

 _Why_ am  _I so guarded? What did she ever do to me?_ Blake knew why she didn't trust Weiss, but the reason was just as dumb and prejudiced as she expected Weiss to be deep down. And it was all because of a stupid bow she hadn't felt the need to wear for years, at least not in the safety of her own workplace. But now, with Weiss around, it was suddenly as if Blake was ashamed-no, she wasn't ashamed, just afraid-of being a Faunus. The worst part of it all was that Weiss had shown absolutely no signs of being uncomfortable around Faunus, yet Blake still worried about how she would react to finding a set of cat ears on top of Blake's head in place of a black bow.

It didn't have to be that hard. All she had to do was take off the bow, and walk right back into Blondie's studio as if nothing was different. Weiss was fine around Sun, one of the most open Faunus Blake knew. There was no reason for her to be uncomfortable around Blake, yet Blake was the one acting like a prejudiced bitch just because Weiss was a privileged Schnee. Even if she  _did_ come out and tell Weiss the truth, it'd be too late to ensure that there wouldn't be a conflict. Weiss would only want to know why Blake was hiding, and of course Blake would be the bad guy for playing the prejudice card when there was absolutely no reason to. No matter how she looked at it, she was still just a judgmental coward.

 _Just shake it off, Belladonna. You're here to work, not to make friends… or enemies._ She finished making the sandwich, and plopped it down on a plate before carrying it back to the studio. Weiss was still sitting at Yang's desk, staring at the tacky, neon clock that Blake had begged Yang numerous times to get rid of, and replace it with something that wasn't so painful to look at.

"A clock is just a clock."

Weiss turned around and furrowed her eyebrows at Blake. "Sorry?"

Blake shrugged. "That's what Yang told me when I tried to make her get rid of it. 'A clock is just a clock.'" She placed the plate on the edge of the desk. "Anyway, here ya go. If you need anything else, just ask."

"Oh… okay. Thanks." Weiss picked up the sandwich and took a small bite, turning back around in her chair. Blake walked back to the loveseat on the other side of the room, and returned to her book. She only got to the end of the first paragraph when she heard Weiss calling her name. "Hey, Blake?"

She lifted her head just enough to acknowledge the heiress. "Yes?"

"Are you usually this quiet with Yang?"

Blake grunted. "It's kind of hard to get a word in with Yang when she's too busy snapping at me to get Ozpin over the Scroll."

"That sounds… fun."

"Well, there's certainly never a dull moment when you're working for Yang." She almost had to suppress a laugh. Now that Yang  _finally_ had found an artist who met her criteria, all of Blake's time spent at the studio had mostly been quiet. Yang was definitely much more positive, which, of course, was for the better, but even before Junior left, Blake had been swamped with scheduling meetings and interviews for Yang, and occasionally for a couple of other writers when their own assistants were not available. She knew that with Weiss around,  _Lost & Found _would finally be getting some quality attention, and the interviews and conferences would begin to pick up again. But until then, her professional life would remain quiet, and quiet was a concept Blake was quickly growing to hate.

"She's... not going to do a complete one-eighty on me one of these days, is she?" Weiss asked, tearing Blake from her thoughts.

The Faunus looked up at her, and sighed. "No, she's not. At least I don't expect her to. She likes you, Weiss."

Weiss smiled. "That's good to know."

"Yeah. So don't worry." Blake leaned back against the loveseat's cool, leather cushions, and buried her face in her book, hoping Weiss would take the hint and get back to work.

"Thanks."

 _Don't thank me. I didn't do anything…_ Blake simply nodded into a crinkled page, and after a moment, she heard the sound of Weiss's chair turning back around. The afternoon passed in silence, much like that morning, each minute feeling like another missed opportunity that Blake could've amended the ever-growing gap between them. But the longer she waited, the harder it became to tell the truth, until eventually, Weiss set down her drawing utensils, and Blake realized that she had lost her chance.

"Well, I did it."

Blake set down her book, and glanced up at an exhausted-but-excited Weiss. She was now standing at the desk, gesturing toward the pile of work strewn across the top. Blake raised an eyebrow, and slowly lifted herself to her feet.

 _For a Schnee, she sure knows how to make a mess,_ she thought to herself as she made her way over to Yang's cluttered desk where Weiss's panels lay. She picked up two pages that rested on top, one from the beginning of the issue, and the other from a scene towards the middle. In the first few panels, Torrez could be seen sitting inside a dark, shadowy cell, orange and black shadows cast along the floors as Torrez refused to meet the gaze of an officer on the other side of the cell. Blake immediately recognized the anguish in Torrez's deep, brown eyes as the officer announced that he would be sentenced to death, and she couldn't help but sympathize with him after working so hard and long to dissociate himself with his criminal past. Even though Blake was already well-aware of Torrez's eventual escape, it didn't stop her from pitying the man as he so obviously feared whatever kind of slow, painful death was to come. As fictional as he was, Weiss and Yang together made him look and feel like someone Blake could understand, and hurt for, and maybe help in another life.

Then she turned her attention to the second page in her hand, which portrayed a stoic-but-determined Yin fighting his way through prison security. Throughout each panel, Yin fought mercilessly, injuring each person that stood in his way without a second thought, all the while remaining terrifyingly calm despite the fact that Torrez-his only lead-was just minutes away from death. No definable emotion could be seen in the young man's eyes but determination; no fear, nor anger, nor desperation clouding his judgment. As always, he was just Investigator Shì Qù Yin, a man with a job and a duty he wasn't about to let slip right through his hands. Blake had to admit she was impressed, though. Weiss took Yang's scripts, and turned them into a piece of art-not just  _any_ art, either, but something reminiscent of what  _Lost & Found _used to be, and of what it would be once again with Weiss and Yang working as a team.

"Wow…" Blake murmured, holding up one of the panels in what little light the small desk lamp gave off so she could get a better look. "These are great… I'll send some scans over to Ozpin immediately."

Weiss let out a relieved hum. "Really? Is there anything you think Yang would want me to change?"

Blake glanced up at her as she lowered the pages. "Well, I'll let Yang speak for herself, but I think they're great as is. You did a wonderful job capturing each character's personalities, and I'm sure the style is exactly what Yang's been looking for."

The heiress grinned. "Thank you, that really means a lot."

"Hey, just doing my job." She gave Weiss a small shrug before she collected a couple of key panels, and started toward the door. "I'll go send these to Ozpin. Will you be heading out soon?"

"I'll call my father while you do whatever you have to do." Weiss reached for her Scroll, and began dialing a number as Blake left the studio, and started toward the print lab. As she ran Weiss's panels through the scanner, she found herself thinking about the newest issue of  _Lost & Found_, and how it was such a stark contrast between Yang's original script and the one she'd handed to Weiss just a couple of days earlier. As Blondie's assistant and Yang's longtime confidant, Blake was, of course, the first to see the newest script, and while Blake had to admit it was probably one of the most captivating and thought-provoking chapters Yang had written in years, she had no idea where Yang had gotten the inspiration for such a drastic turn of events.

A part of her even feared that maybe Yang had found no inspiration, and that the next gripping installment of  _Lost & Found _was a by-product of her best friend's potentially worsening state of mind. She'd written it that night Ruby brought Weiss over for the first time, and Yang had tactfully retreated into her bedroom as soon as Ruby had mentioned their late mother, a subject that Blake knew Yang had never been too keen to discuss. Regardless of where the idea came from, Blake had to admit that seeing the finished project had solidified its place as her favorite issue of  _Lost & Found _so far.

When she finished scanning the panels into Beacon's master computer, Blake composed a new email to Ozpin, and attached each of the new files.  _Wanted to show you some of Weiss's progress. These are my favorite panels._ She signed her name, and sent the email, then collected the panels and carried them back into Blondie's studio where Weiss was waiting, a worried expression on her face.

Blake pulled an empty folder from the top drawer of Yang's desk, and carefully slid each page inside by order of scene. She glanced curiously up at Weiss as she placed the folder in the top right corner of the desk where Yang would find it first thing in the morning. "What's wrong?"

Weiss bit her lip. "Well, my driver's car is still in the shop, and my sister was called into work for an emergency meeting." She frowned. "I'll have to wait here until my mother's finished her weekly shopping trip."

"Weekly shopping trip?"

"I know how it sounds, but…" Weiss sighed. "Would it be possible for you to bring me home? You've already done it once before, so…"

 _I was just doing Yang a favor…_ Blake swallowed, and gave Weiss a tight smile. "Sure. Since I  _am_ technically still responsible for you."

Weiss nodded. "Thank you."

"No problem. Just let me lock up." Blake finished tidying Yang's desk and waited for Weiss to collect her drawing utensils before following Weiss out of the building, and locking the doors behind them. She set the alarm code at the entrance of the building, and led Weiss to her beat-up car parked out front. It took a few attempts of turning the key before the car finally sputtered to life, and Blake slouched back in the driver's seat, wishing not for the first time that she had a better car, at least for appearance's sake.

 _Not like it's a big deal,_ she thought to herself as she switched gears, and slowly backed out of Beacon's parking lot.  _Appearances aren't everything, anyway…_

The drive to Upper Vale was unsurprisingly silent, with the only exception of Blake's stereo playing soft rock music on low through her outdated, yet functional, speakers. Though she mostly kept her gaze on the road ahead, whenever she would stop at a red light, Blake would glance at Weiss out of habit, and notice the way the heiress tapped her fingers against the side of her door in rhythm to the music, her expression deep in thought as she stared out the windshield, seemingly oblivious to Blake and everything else around her.

When they finally arrived at the Schnees' front gate, Blake stated her business-dropping Weiss off from work-and was granted entrance. She drove up the long driveway toward the mansion that was quickly becoming familiar, and stopped about twenty feet from the front walkway like she did her first time dropping Weiss off, still a little self-conscious about being seen with the heiress in such a shitty, not-worth-a-dime car.

Weiss pushed open her door, and started to step out, only to turn to Blake at the last moment with a small- _sympathetic?-_ smile. "Thank you, Blake. For everything."

Blake furrowed her eyebrows. "I was just doing my job."

She shook her head. "Maybe so, but it was clear that you would've rather been at the zoo with Ruby and Yang. Instead, you stuck it out with me, and that means a lot."

Blake blinked, surprised by the other girl's words. Evidently, Weiss had caught on to Blake's discomfort, but rather than calling her out on it, she was thanking her. Why? Blake stumbled over her tongue as she tried to find something to say, but she had already missed all of her chances that day to just tell Weiss the truth. The least she could do was apologize while she still had Weiss's attention. But was it really worth it? Had Blake  _really_ done anything wrong? Sure, she had severely misjudged Weiss, but it wasn't like she had actually vocalized her distrust. And she still knew next to nothing about Weiss, besides her being a huge comic book geek, a rich heiress, and a talented artist. But she was one of Ruby's closest friends, and Yang obviously saw more to Weiss than her talent, so she couldn't have been all that bad. Maybe Blake was being the stubborn one refusing to give her a chance. She needed to take Yang's advice; she needed to let her guard down.

"Weiss, I'm sorry."

But it was too late. By the time Blake had finally found the words she'd been trying to say all day, Weiss was already halfway down the front walk, out of earshot. She had lost her chance once again…


	14. Model Student

Weiss awoke the next morning to the sound of her Scroll buzzing on her nightstand. At first, she ignored it, burrowing deeper into her bedspread as the device continued to go off, but after stopping abruptly for a moment, the buzzing resumed again, and Weiss groaned as she realized whoever was calling was not going to stop until she finally gave them the time of day - _too freaking early_. She poked her head out of her bed sheets, and reached for the noisy device, but as soon as it was finally in her grasp, the buzzing stopped, and Weiss sighed.

 _Who the hell is even calling me this early?_ Weiss went to her call log and furrowed her eyebrows at the name displayed at the top of her recent calls list - Yang. She was just about to call the blonde back when she received a new text message from said girl, and she opened it with a curious smile. _Hey, Weiss. Sorry for calling so early, just wanted to let you know Ozpin emailed Blake back and said he loves the panels. You're in! I'll text ya later with a schedule so we can start planning out further issues. Have a great day!_

She blinked down at her screen, her smile widening into a grin at the words displayed before her. She was in! Ozpin liked her work! She could now work with Yang - or, well, _Blondie_ \- as long as she pleased, something she hadn't _dared_ dream, let alone expect, to actually happen in a million years. She was going to be a published artist for her favorite comic book series, and the best part was that her parents - even her father - were actually on board.

 _Oh, and you're going to need a pen name,_ Yang texted her back after a moment, and Weiss rolled her eyes at the thought. Of course she'd need a pen name - her father would die of embarrassment if "Weiss Schnee" was printed across the cover of one of the top ten comic books in all of Remnant. She opened a new message and quickly typed a response - _Sounds great! You can pick the name, but I'm vetoing anything that sounds too ridiculous._

She tossed her Scroll to the side as she finally got up from her bed, and she walked over to her personal bathroom to freshen up. She couldn't help but grin even as she splashed water over her face or performed the more annoying parts of her morning ritual. Even as she exited the bathroom a few moments later and slipped into one of the skirt-and-sweater combos that she usually hated, she still found herself giddy at the thought of working side-by-side with Yang, the girl who continued to take her by surprise more and more each passing day.

Before heading downstairs, Weiss packed her messenger bag and grabbed her Scroll, replying to a simple "gud mornin" text from Ruby - _God, that girl can't spell_ \- on her way out of the bedroom. She descended the stairs, set her bag by the door in the foyer, and then made her way to the dining room where her mother and sister were already seated with their breakfasts.

"Where's Dad?" she asked her mother as she took her seat across from Winter, but as always, her mom was too busy typing away on her Scroll to realize that Weiss was talking to her. She sighed, and turned to her sister, who gave her an apologetic smile.

"He's in his office," Winter said, taking a sip from a steaming mug of coffee. "He's been in there since about five this morning, sorting out a merchandising contract with the Vale City Vultures football team."

Weiss raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh? What kind of contract?"

Her sister simply shrugged. "I don't know the exact details, but I'm assuming they're looking for Schnee Electronics to sponsor the upcoming Vytal Sports Festival. The Vultures are holding the festival, as well as a huge football tournament, in their home stadium this year, and it could be a huge source of income for the SEC if Father can negotiate a fair contract."

"I'm sure he will," Weiss mused with a short nod. She couldn't care less about the Vultures or any sports team for that matter, but she knew that as long as her father saw them as a good investment, he'd do whatever it'd take to rope them in, and he almost always got his way when it came to negotiating.

Winter set down her mug, and pushed a plate of bacon and eggs toward Weiss. "Eat something, Weissy. You can't go to school on an empty stomach."

Weiss smiled up at her sister as she reached for a piece of bacon. "Always pampering me, and with your own food, no less."

"Someone's got to take care of you," Winter muttered, glancing at their mother at the end of the table, who didn't seem to notice or care. She turned back to Weiss with an exaggerated breath and gave her a smile small. "So how was your weekend? I didn't see much of you."

"I was at the studio for most of it." Weiss grinned. "Actually, Ya-" Weiss caught herself before she could finish Yang's name, remembering that her sister only knew _Lost & Found's _writer by her pen name, and that Yang wouldn't be too keen about having her true identity exposed through a simple tongue slip. She cleared her throat, and started again. " _Blondie_ just sent me a text this morning saying that Ozpin liked my panels."

Winter nodded. "That's great." She slowly knitted her brow in confusion. "Who is Ozpin again?"

"He's the man who owns Beacon Comics and decides the place of all writers and artists in his studio." Weiss took a bite of bacon and swallowed before continuing. "He told Blondie he wants to keep me, so I now get to work on _Lost & Found _permanently!"

"That's amazing, Weissy." Winter grinned proudly at her sister. "Although, you may want to hide a little bit of that enthusiasm when Father's around."

Weiss frowned. "Yeah… It's just a job, right?"

"It's more than that," Winter assured her. "And I'm happy for you. You got this all on your own."

"Well, not _all_ on my own…" She glanced at her mother once more. "If it weren't for Mom, I wouldn't even be working at Beacon right now."

Their mother raised her head at the sound of her name, and she gave Weiss a smile that was clearly practiced. "That's nice, sweetie," she said before returning her gaze to her Scroll. "You should be off to school soon."

Winter stood up and walked around the table to Weiss, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Finish up, and I'll drive you."

"I'm done." Weiss pushed the plate away from her and carefully pulled back from the table, maneuvering around her sister. Winter walked over to the dining room's entrance, and waited for Weiss as the younger Schnee said goodbye to their mother. She kissed the older woman on the cheek. "See you later, Mom. Have a great day at work."

"You too, sweetie."

Weiss met Winter at the doorway and followed her out to the foyer, picking up her messenger bag where she'd left it by the door. The two girls headed outside to Winter's car - a silver luxury sedan that their father had bought her before she started working at the Vale SEC branch last Spring - and climbed inside. Almost as soon as Winter had pulled out of the long, narrow driveway and onto the street, Weiss reached into the glove compartment, and started rifling through the CD organizer Winter kept hidden underneath all of her registration and insurance papers. She grinned when she came across her favorite, a CD patterned with red, white, black, and yellow stripes titled _Red Like Roses_ by Casey Lee. She popped it into the stereo's built-in CD player, and immediately flipped through the first few songs until she heard the opening notes of "Gold" belting through the speakers.

Winter smirked as she nudged the volume dial, turning it down just slightly as she kept her gaze peeled to the road before her. "Aren't you ever going to get tired of this song?"

"Nope," Weiss admitted with a smile as she hummed along to the lyrics, and happily turned her attention out the passenger's side window. As soon as the song reached the first chorus, Weiss began to sing along. "' _Don't you worry about the dark, I will light up the night with the love in my heart. I will burn like the sun, I will keep you safe and waaarm.'_ "

Winter playfully elbowed Weiss in the side, causing the heiress to lose her place, and break out into giggles. Weiss turned to her sister with a devious look, about to return the jab when she suddenly stopped herself, and instead slumped back in her seat with an emphasised humph.

"You don't play fair," she told her sister. "You know I can't hit the driver."

"Hey, I'm just teasing you." Winter stopped at a red light, and turned to Weiss with a small smile. "So, can you tell me anything about this mysterious writer you seem to admire so much?"

Weiss felt her face begin to redden, and she instantly turned her gaze away from her sister. "I, um, well, can't really tell you much…. But, uh, Blondie's cool, and actually surprisingly not that difficult to work with. And the latest issue - oh, it's so good! I wish I could tell you more, but she'd probably fire me if I let it slip, and -"

"She?"

 _Oh… shit…_ Weiss sunk lower in her seat as she realized what she'd just said. "Let's pretend you didn't hear that…."

Winter grunted. "Too late, Weissy… So Blondie… is a woman?"

"That's irrelevant," the younger Schnee grumbled, sighing in relief as the traffic light finally turned green, and Winter pressed forward.

Her sister glanced at her with a raised brow. "So is this _Blondie_ cute?"

Weiss gasped. "Winter! She's my _boss_!"

"I'm just asking, no need to get defensive." Winter smirked. "But seriously, be careful. If Father finds out you're crushing on a coworker, he'll pull you out of there so fast you'd have whiplash for weeks."

"There is no crush," Weiss said in spite of the growing blush on her cheeks. "I just…. I'm working with my favorite writer, and I'm still a little starstruck. That's it. And you're not allowed to tell anyone you know Blondie is a woman, _especially_ not Dad."

Winter let out a reassuring hum. "Don't worry, Weissy. Your secret's safe with me."

"Thanks."

"No need to thank me." The older Schnee continued driving through the small village of Upper Vale into the larger part of town that held most of Vale's business and education districts, including the SEC Vale Branch, a couple of three-to-five-star hotels, the local shopping mall, and the local community college, as well as a few other chain restaurants and markets. Weiss had resumed her singing, however more quietly than before, occasionally changing the tracks on the CD player so she could get in all of her favorites before she arrived at school.

Every so often, Weiss would find herself thinking about Yang, and how the blonde had practically exceeded Weiss's expectations the same way Ruby did when they first met a year-and-a-half ago. Despite having been warned by Ruby, Blake, and pretty much every recent article about _Lost & Found _that Blondie was just a bad temper, Yang had so far been nothing but patient with Weiss, although the heiress felt she'd done little to deserve it. Of course, she wouldn't even be working with Yang if Ruby hadn't introduced them to each other, but Yang didn't _have_ to reveal her identity to Weiss, she didn't _have_ to check out her art the moment Weiss went home, and she didn't _have_ to offer her a job. Somehow, Weiss knew that Yang did it purely because she wanted to, because she had faith that Weiss wouldn't let her down. And that meant more than anything Weiss could ever express in words.

So, yeah, she had a crush on Blondie. But so what? It wasn't like Yang was going to return those feelings, and it wasn't like Weiss could actually act on them while she was working under Yang's wing. It would just be wrong, and unprofessional, and if her father ever found out, she'd lose her dream job before she ever really had the chance to fully experience it. What Winter didn't know - or at least, what she didn't _claim_ to know - certainly wasn't going to hurt her.

Weiss hadn't realized how long she'd been daydreaming until the sudden absence of music snapped her out of her reverie, signaling her arrival at Brushwell. She blinked up at her sister, who had parked at the curb outside of the campus's main building, and was now grinning down at Weiss with a knowing look. Instead of teasing her, however, Winter simply reached for Weiss's messenger bag on the floor, and handed it to the younger girl.

"Have a good day," she said with a smile.

"I will," Weiss assured her, unbuckling herself and opening her door. "Don't have too much fun on your day off."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Weiss stepped out onto the curb, and watched as her sister drove away, taking a moment to absorb the early-morning fresh air before starting toward the school's main entrance. She'd barely made it through the building's large double doors when she noticed a shaggy-haired blonde walking in her direction, a determined look on his face, and Weiss's heart immediately dropped into the pit of her stomach. _Oh God, what does he want this time?_

"Hi, Weiss!" the boy exclaimed as he quickly picked up his speed, catching up with her before she had the chance to duck into one of the classrooms nearby. "Did'ja hear the great news?"

"Oh, you finally dressed yourself this morning without any help?" Weiss smirked. "Your mother must be so proud!"

He simply chuckled. "Actually, Pyrrha and I were cast as the leads in the school musical, which means ladies are going to be _all_ over me once we start rehearsals. Better reserve your ticket now before all of the front row seats are sold out."

Weiss rolled her eyes, and glanced behind the boy, searching for any sign of either Ruby or Pyrrha. When she didn't find either one of them moving around amongst the large crowd of students, she let out a disappointed groan, and turned her attention back to the boy. _Sorry, sis…_ "Jaune, tickets don't even go on sale for another month. And when they _do_ , I'll be reserving them in support of Pyrrha, not you."

Jaune rested a hand on Weiss's shoulder, causing the heiress to flinch, but even as she tried to shrug it away, Jaune immediately replaced it, making sure he had the girl's full, undivided attention. "You'll change your mind after you see just how handsome I look in a suit of armor."

"I'd have thought you'd been cast as the damsel in distress," Weiss commented with feigned enthusiasm. "Pyrrha's certainly much more of a knight than you."

Jaune's smile slightly faded, and he lifted a hand to the back of his head. "Uh, yeah, that's kind of why Pyrrha was cast as the knightess…."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? So then what's your role?"

"I'm the prince, of course!" His dark blue eyes lit up again as he puffed up his chest in an attempt to make himself look more masculine. "Prince Peri is the son of a great king who has recently been afflicted by a fatal illness, and Peri - that's me - must learn all of his father's responsibilities so he will be prepared when it's finally his turn to take the throne. The king hires one of the strongest and bravest knights in all of the land to train Peri, only for him to discover that the knight is a woman - that's Pyrrha - and Peri confides in her his fears that he will never be able to live up to his father's expectations. Peri and the knightess develop a close bond through their time spent training, and when the time comes for Peri to take his father's place, he makes the knightess his right-hand woman and hailing General over all the kingdom's armies."

"So you _are_ the damsel in distress?" Weiss couldn't help but laugh at that thought, but she had to admit that the premise actually piqued her interest more than she was willing to let Jaune know. "Is Pyrrha going to be wearing armor?"

Jaune nodded. "Yep. You remember that one she wore during your art class? Ruby showed me your sketch. It was awesome!" He beamed down at Weiss. "But anyway, that's the one she'll be wearing. The Drama Department wanted to test it out before actually casting any roles, but Pyrrha was always their top contender. She's a great actress."

"Yes she is," Weiss agreed with a small smile. She sighed, and finally managed to slip free of the taller boy's grasp. "Well, anyway, I should be off to class. Send Pyrrha my best wishes, and good luck with, uh, with your musical."

"Cool, sure thing! See ya around, Ice Queen!"

Weiss nearly cringed at that god-awful nickname, but she kept her smile, if only to be polite, and let out a relieved breath when the boy finally walked away. She adjusted the strap of her messenger bag over her shoulder, and quickly stopped at her locker before heading to homeroom. _Oh well, I guess I'll see Ruby and Pyrrha later._ She shook her head, remembering that Pyrrha was temporarily taken out of her art class so she could focus on the musical. Well, at least she'd still see Ruby.

* * *

The remainder of her day passed fairly slowly. Classes seemed to drag even more than usual, and Weiss had found it difficult to focus on each of her teachers' lessons for any longer than the first few minutes. Instead, her mind often wandered to _Lost & Found_, of what Yang had had in mind for Yin now that he'd helped Torrez escape from prison. Would Torrez turn his back on Yin, or would the two begin a new partnership, with Torrez behind the scenes so as not to be caught again by the police? And how would _L &F_'s fanbase react to Weiss's art? Would they like the way she incorporated some of Hei Xiong's original styles, or would they accuse her of copying him? As the day wore on, Weiss became more and more anxious, desperate to call up the blonde herself to ensure Weiss that she hadn't somehow made a mistake. Yang's word meant everything to her, and the last thing the heiress wanted was to let her mentor down.

It had seemed like a lifetime had passed when the bell finally rang at the end of Weiss's second-to-last period. She wasted no time in packing up her books before heading over to the Fine Arts building, hoping to find Ruby already waiting. After such a long and boring day, she needed a good friend to talk to, even though Ruby usually did enough talking for the both of them. However, when she finally stepped through the open door of the art room, Weiss was mildly disappointed to see that the room was empty.

She furrowed her eyebrows as she walked over to her easel, and began digging around her messenger bag for her Scroll. When she checked the time, she let out a low groan, realizing she still had a good ten minutes before her next class began. Somehow, she'd made it to the art room much earlier than usual, and as a result, she was left alone with yet more time to kill.

Weiss sighed, and began to unpack her drawing utensils, deciding she might as well be productive while she waited for the remainder of the class to arrive. She had just finished sharpening a broad charcoal pencil and was about to start a sketch when the sound of footsteps immediately drew her attention away from her canvas, and to the green-haired girl who'd just walked through the door.

"Hey," the girl said as she walked to her pedestal at the front of the room. "It's Weiss, right?"

"Uh, yeah," Weiss answered sheepishly, lowering her pencil. "How'd you know?"

The girl - _what was her name again?_ \- just smiled, her vibrant, crimson eyes creasing slightly at the corners as they focused on Weiss. "Your father is one of the most influential men in all of Remnant. I know a Schnee when I see one."

Weiss blinked. "Oh, um, well, thank you." She turned in her stool so that she was properly facing the other student. "I'm afraid I never got your first name. Unless you prefer to be called 'Sustrai' all the time?"

"It's Emerald," the girl said with an amused laugh. "You can call me 'Sustrai' if you want, but I prefer either Emerald or Em."

"Of course." Weiss gave her a timid smile. "So, uh… You're from Mistral?"

Emerald nodded, her expression unreadable. "That's right."

"That's cool." Weiss drew in a hesitant breath, an awkward silence following shortly after, and the heiress reminded herself just how much she hated meeting new people. Socialising was Winter's specialty, not her own. "So…"

The darker girl raised an eyebrow. "So?"

Weiss bit her lip, and briefly turned her attention back to her easel. She picked up her pencil again, and slowly turned it around between her fingers. "What brings you to Vale?"

"Work." Weiss glanced up at Emerald, only to find her staring at a piece of abstract art hanging on the wall on another side of the room, seemingly lost in thought. "Well, my dad was relocated here for work, and he brought the whole family with him. So, yeah, here we are." She turned back to Weiss with a shrug.

"I see." Weiss felt herself relax a little, finally finding a topic she was familiar with. "I can relate. My father brought us out here a while back to expand the SEC into the more culturally diverse areas of Vale, and we've been here ever since. It's definitely a lot different than Atlas."

Emerald hummed. "I've never been to Atlas, but from what I've heard, it gets pretty cold."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "That seems to be the _one_ thing anyone ever has to say about it. To be honest, it's only the winters that are really harsh, there. The springs and summers are quite nice, never too hot, and the autumns in the mountains are absolutely gorgeous. Oh, the trees look wonderful when the leaves are changing colors…."

"It sounds like you miss it," Emerald observed, straightening her back as she crossed her legs over the edge of her stool.

"Well, of course I do. I spent the majority of my childhood in Atlas." Weiss gave her a half-smile. "But I'd be lying if I said I didn't also enjoy Vale. The people here are much nicer, and I don't have to worry nearly as much about being followed around by reporters."

Emerald narrowed her eyes in suspicion, and Weiss immediately knew what was on the girl's mind. She'd heard the same old worn-out questions and insults about her sister more times than she could count since the incident the year before, and as soon as Weiss had mentioned the reporters, she knew that Emerald would go to that place. Everyone _always_ went to that place.

"It's not what you think," Weiss started, but Emerald lifted a hand to cut her off, and Weiss held her breath, waiting anxiously to see what the other girl would say.

"I get it," she said, her voice void of any judgment. "My father's a lawyer, probably one of the best in all of Mistral. He doesn't exactly have the easiest job, and the media hasn't made it much better. One of the reasons we came to Vale is to get away from all of that. People are so much more than the stories the public likes to make up about them."

Weiss swallowed, taken off-guard by the girl's revelation. She was _not_ expecting Emerald to sympathize with her, let alone actually being able to relate. "Y-yeah… You're absolutely right."

Emerald sighed. "You know, I wasn't sure what to expect when I first came here. I thought maybe I was getting in a little over my head when I enrolled here, since I'm not exactly the most artistic of people, but the students here are cool. Or, well, most of the ones I've interacted with are, anyway." She smiled at Weiss. "When I saw you in this art class, I was a little intimidated. Bet you couldn't tell, huh?"

"Really?" Weiss furrowed her eyebrows. "Why would you be intimidated by me? Because I'm a Schnee?"

"That's precisely why," Emerald admitted nonchalantly. "But hey, you're not that bad."

Weiss returned her smile. "Thank you. You're not so bad yourself."

Emerald opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, the sounds of hurried footsteps filled the room as students started to pile inside, and take their seats at their easels. Emerald's expression settled back to its original neutral state, and she slowly started to turn back around in her stool to face the rest of the students. "Well, it was nice talking to you, Schnee."

 _Yeah, you too._ Weiss turned her attention to her easel just as she felt someone pass behind her, and she grinned teasingly as Ruby took her seat in the easel to the left. "Running a little late today?"

Ruby groaned as she sunk back in her stool. "I had to finish a literature essay before I was allowed to leave my last class. I _just_ handed it in and rushed here as fast as I could."

Weiss smirked. "Well, you certainly look like you've just run a marathon."

"I _feel_ like I did." She turned her gaze to Emerald, who still seemed to be taking in all of the commotion of the students around her. Ruby frowned. "So what was that about?"

"What was what about?"

Ruby looked back at Weiss. "I saw you two talking just as I came in."

"Oh." Weiss gave her friend a content smile. "I was just getting to know the class model a little more. She seems nice."

"Yeah… nice…"

Weiss raised an eyebrow, sensing the sarcasm in the younger girl's voice. "Is something wrong?"

Ruby's eyes widened, and she quickly shook her head. "No, of course not! It's great you're making friends on your own… Really."

The heiress sighed. Somehow, she didn't exactly believe Ruby, but instead of pressing her further, she gave the brunette a small nod. The last thing she needed was to butt heads with her best friend. Whatever it was about Emerald that made Ruby uncomfortable, Weiss was determined to soften her up. After all, Emerald was still new to the area, and Weiss was sure the girl could benefit from making a couple of friends.


	15. The Art of Deception

The silence was unnerving. Blake had never seen Ruby so quiet before, so indignant about seemingly everything Blake tried to talk about. When she'd asked Ruby about her day, the girl simply let out a frustrated humph, and let that be the end of the conversation. The ride home was long and unusually tense, and not even tuning the radio to Ruby's favorite station was enough to ease the tension between them.

When she finally pulled into the sandy driveway of the Rose-Xiao Long beach home, she parked behind the family van that Taiyang rarely got use of anymore now that both Yang and Blake had their own vehicles, and she turned her attention to the small brunette who was still brooding in the passenger seat beside her. Ruby had her face pressed up against the glass of the door window, her silver eyes narrowed and the corners of her lips pointed down in an exaggerated frown. Blake smirked when she realized Ruby was purposely ignoring her and trying her hardest not to crack at the older girl's scrutiny.

"Stop staring at me," she muttered after a moment, her mouth twitching as she struggled to keep her facade.

Blake leaned back in her seat, and let out an amused grunt. "You've always been terrible at being angry."

Ruby bit her lip, but it wasn't enough to stop that first hint of a smile from showing through. "I hate when you do that," she said, her tone noticeably more lighthearted than before. After a moment, she turned to Blake, and rolled her eyes. "I'm going inside."

"I'm right behind you," Blake told her, unbuckling her seat belt and removing her keys from the ignition. She followed Ruby from the driveway to the front door, and waited for the younger girl to unlock it before stepping inside and immediately searching around the entrance for Zwei. Without fail, the tiny corgi came running down the hallway a few seconds later, and stopped expectantly at Blake's feet.

Ruby made a beeline for the kitchen, tossing her backpack on the sofa as she cut through the living room, and wrenched open the refrigerator door. Blake picked up Zwei and carried him to the sofa, lowering Ruby's bag to the floor as she sat down.

"So are you going to tell me what's bugging you?"

Ruby groaned. "It's stupid." She pulled out a carton of milk and set it on the counter before opening the dishwasher, and grabbing a clean glass. "You probably don't want to hear it."

Blake sunk back against the sofa's soft cushions, letting out a sigh as she lowered her hands to her sides. Zwei curled up on her stomach and buried his face in his paws. "I'm sure it's not stupid, Rubes."

"Well…" She poured herself a glass of milk and returned the carton to the fridge before carrying it back over to the living room. She took a seat in Taiyang's armchair, and directed her uncertain gaze to the glass that she twisted nervously in her hands. "Is it wrong to judge someone I don't really know anything about?"

"Uh…" Blake shifted awkwardly in her seat, averting her amber eyes from her friend as she silently cursed her own hesitance. She wondered if Ruby had somehow found out about Blake's distrust of Weiss, and how despite everything she'd seen of the girl so far, she _still_ felt the need to hide her true identity from her. Was she actually doing anything _wrong_ , though? She wasn't putting a target on Weiss's back by keeping her identity a secret, she was just keeping herself distanced to make sure the heiress would never hurt her. But what kind of message would that send Ruby if Blake continued to go around treating her best friend like she was some kind of villain? Weiss wasn't a bad person, at all, and Blake was more than aware of that. But it didn't stop her from judging her, from constantly keeping her at arm's length, and the only one who continued to suffer was Blake at the end of the day.

Ruby started to stand. "Okay, yeah, I knew it was dumb. Sorry, Bla-"

"No, it's not dumb," Blake answered after a moment, cutting Ruby off and holding out her palm, gesturing for the other girl to sit. She cleared her throat, exhaling slowly as she rearranged her thoughts. "But to answer your question, I guess it just depends."

The brunette raised her head. "On what?"

"Your gut." Blake gave her a small smile. "Trust your instincts, Rubes. Better to lose pride and admit you're wrong than trust too much and get burned."

"Yeah, I guess so…" She frowned. "It just doesn't feel fair, though."

Blake swallowed, and brought a hand up to her bow. Even though she hadn't had to pick up Weiss that afternoon, she'd still worn it just in case there was a chance the heiress would be with Ruby, and the last thing she wanted was to be caught without it after already going so long hiding her ears in plain sight. Ruby didn't seem to notice as Blake loosened the ribbon and let her cat ears wiggle free, but it didn't make Blake feel any less guilty as she tucked the ribbon away into the pocket of her shorts. "It's not fair… but sometimes you just have to do what you feel is necessary to avoid being hurt."

Ruby nodded. "Well, I kind of have this bad feeling about a new girl in my art class… I can't explain _why_ I feel like that, but I just… I don't know. Something about her seems off."

"New girl?"

"She's the new class model," Ruby elaborated. "Pyrrha got the lead role in our school musical, so she's going to be out for a while. We got this new girl from Mistral, now, and she and Weiss seem to have hit it off."

Blake furrowed her eyebrows. "Hmm. Do you think maybe you're jealous of her?"

Ruby shook her head. "No way. I had a bad feeling about her _before_ she started taking an interest in Weiss. I just… She has that _look_ about her. Like she's up to something."

"You mean that same look you used to wear right before you'd sneak into the cookie cupboard when you weren't supposed to?"

The brunette's face flushed, and Blake laughed. "Hey, I was like ten!" She slouched back in her chair, crossing her arms. "And I'm being serious. If you met her, you'd probably agree."

Blake shrugged. "I'm not saying I wouldn't. I believe you, Rubes." She lifted Zwei off her stomach and carefully set him on the cushion beside her where he quickly curled back up and continued to act oblivious to the conversation at hand. She pushed herself to the edge of the sofa and met Ruby's round, disheartened eyes. "I think it's important to keep yourself safe. And if you feel like she's going to be a problem, then don't go out of your way to make yourself like her. You're not obligated to just because Weiss seems to. Just try not to start something that might jeopardize your friendship, okay?"

Ruby sighed. "Okay. Thanks for understanding, Blakey."

The Faunus smiled. "It's not a problem, Rubes. Don't be afraid to come to me with these things, okay? Yang, either. She wants to know what's going on in your life, too."

"I know, I know." Ruby lifted her glass to her lips, and took a long gulp of milk before wiping her mouth and setting the glass on the coffee table. She glanced over at her backpack on the floor. "Hey, Blakey, can you pass me my bag?"

Blake rolled her eyes as she reached for the bag, and tossed it to Ruby. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah, thanks." Ruby started digging around inside her bag for something, and pulled out her Scroll a moment later. Her face immediately lit up as soon as she glanced at the screen.

Blake raised an eyebrow. "Somebody's happy."

Ruby blinked, and tried to hide a blush as she lifted her Scroll to her face. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Who are you texting?" Blake simply asked, even though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer. There was only one person in the world who was able to make Ruby instantly light up like that.

"Oh, uh... just a friend."

Blake smirked. "Sun?"

The brunette slouched back in her chair, and let out a sigh. "Why is that always yours and Yang's first assumption?"

"Come on, Rubes," Blake said. "If it's not Weiss, it's Sun, and I'm pretty sure Weiss doesn't make you blush like a fool."

Ruby clicked her tongue. "How would you know?"

"Because I know _you_." She leaned forward in her seat and crossed her legs. "I'm not going to tease you, okay? That's Yang's job. But as the leading expert on just being friends, Ruby, that's not what friends do."

The younger girl glanced down at her Scroll before placing it on the coffee table face-up, the screen momentarily blinking as she received a new text. "Okay, you win…"

"It's not a contest."

"No, but do you always have to be right?"

Blake frowned. "Trust me, I'm _not_ always right… You're just never there when I'm wrong."

Ruby huffed. "I feel like you're just saying that to make me feel better."

"Take it however you want." She gave Ruby a small shrug. "But I don't see what the big deal is. You and Sun have obviously been getting a lot closer since last year. You were the first person he told about his father's illness. You were the one by his side brightening up those dark days. You were the one he surprised with tickets to that parkour performance. You were the one who insisted Sun be there, too, despite only needing me for your group project. And you went for ice cream without Nep last week. Meanie."

"But I'd do that for Weiss!" Ruby quickly defended, her face having reddened at least three shades by the time Blake had finished her thought.

The Faunus gave her a knowing smile. "But…?"

"Weiss doesn't make me blush."

"She doesn't put that dorky grin on your face either every time you receive a new text message," Blake pointed out.

Ruby raised a hand to the back of her head. "Heheh… you noticed that, too, huh?"

"Rubes…"

She let out another sigh. "Okay, so maybe I do have a _tiny_ crush on him, but can you blame me?!"

Blake grunted. "Love is too strange for me to understand."

"I don't understand it, either, Blakey, but I still want to at least try." Ruby reached for her Scroll once more, and stared at the screen for a moment before looking back up at Blake. "I just can't help but feel like you're missing out."

"Maybe I am," the older girl admitted. "But I've already tried way too many times to know that love isn't for me. If it were…" She trailed off, turning her gaze away from Ruby. As proud as she was of her asexuality, she couldn't deny that it sometimes only complicated things more than they helped. For as long as she could remember, Blake had always wanted kids. But she'd never wanted a partner, never was able to feel that kind of attraction that Yang and Ruby always talked about. And sometimes it scared her more than anything, just the thought of spending her life alone while her friends would likely one day settle down with a husband or wife, and start a family of their own. Of course Ruby and Yang would never forget Blake, and that had never been a concern, but still, she longed to be able to have what they would someday have, to be able to love someone in a way she'd never experience with anyone else. But as it stood, Blake had yet to fall in love. She had yet to find any single being attractive in such a way that made her heart skip a beat, or her cheeks to become flushed whenever they looked her way. She was just… different. And she had come to accept that.

"You'll find someone someday," Ruby assured her. "Maybe another asexual like you."

Blake smirked. "And they'd be so gorgeous that everyone would be green with envy whenever we walked by. No one would ever believe that someone as beautiful as us could be as uninterested in love and sex. It'd be a perfect companionship."

Ruby chuckled. "And you'd be known as Remnant's Most Heinous Heartbreakers."

"You know, I actually like the sound of that." Blake cleared her throat, and fell back against the couch's cushions. "But enough of that. We're supposed to be talking about you."

"I don't see any rule that says we _have_ to talk about me," Ruby joked. "Besides, you already got my confession. And if you tell Yang, I'm feeding Zwei all of your favorite sneakers."

The older girl gave her a challenging look. "Oh? And what are you going to do when I move Zwei to the dog house for the remainder of the season? Who's going to eat your homework?"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "You're not actually going to tell her, are you?"

"Of course not, Rubes," Blake promised. "Yang already knows. She's just waiting for you to tell her yourself."

She groaned. "Do I really make it that obvious?"

Blake let out a thoughtful hum. "Well, I'm pretty sure your dad doesn't suspect a thing."

"Great. That makes me feel _so_ much better."

"You know what might make you feel better?" Blake sat up, and gave Ruby a small smile. "How about we surprise Yang and Tai for dinner? Cook something up. God knows they've both probably had a long day."

Ruby nodded. "That'd be cool." She finished her glass of milk before standing up, and carrying it over to the sink. She glanced at Blake through the little window that separated the kitchen from the living room. "And afterward, could you help me with my Math? I… don't exactly understand what a quadra-something-or-other is…"

"Of course." Blake pushed herself up to her feet, and walked back to the kitchen where Ruby was already flipping through a cookbook. Blake took it from her hands and closed it before setting it on the counter. "We're not going to need this."

The younger girl raised an eyebrow. "But Dad's favorite is-"

"I don't need a book to tell me what I already know," Blake said with a smirk. "Just follow my lead."

Ruby grinned. "Aye aye, Captain!"

As Blake started to move toward the stove, she was immediately stopped by the feeling of arms tightening around her waist. She laughed when she found Ruby behind her, her silver eyes once again filled with enough life to animate the entire room. Blake gave her a playful shove and Ruby let go, shaking her head, but the grin never leaving her face.

"Thanks, Sis."

Blake let out a content sigh, and gave the girl a small smile. _Never change, Rubes. Never change._


	16. Wick-ed Competition

Yang leaned back in her chair, bringing her notebook with her as she sloppily crossed off a few words from the list she'd been staring at for the better half of the day. She stifled a laugh as the white-haired girl huffed beside her, her cheeks pink in frustration. After taking a moment to catch her breath, Yang rocked forward and set the notebook back on her desk, turning to Weiss with a wide grin.

"So I guess Powderpuff is a no, too?"

Weiss impatiently tapped her fingers against the edge of the desk, her icy gaze narrowed at her mentor. "Why did I agree to this?"

The blonde crossed her arms. "Oh, come on. There has to be at least _one_ you like."

"They're all offensive!" Weiss argued, turning away from Yang and letting out an annoyed humph. "Maybe I should just go by my real name. I don't see why we have to do this, anyway. No one's going to associate a Schnee with Yang Xiao Long."

"But they _are_ going to associate you with comic books, and your family by extension. And I'm pretty sure one of your father's rules was that you weren't allowed to use your real name."

Weiss bit her lip, and turned back to face Yang. "Do you have _anything_ on that list that doesn't make me sound like an amateur hip-hop artist?"

Yang grunted. "What kind of hip-hop have _you_ been listening to? _Rap with me ABCs_?"

The younger girl raised an eyebrow. "So you agree they're all dumb names, then."

"Oh, come on! I'm trying!" Yang picked up her notebook again, and read over her list of crossed out names once more - _Pasty, Short Stuff, Vanilla Ice, Flurry, Ice Cube, Powderpuff_. She smirked as she glanced through the remaining names, knowing right away Weiss wouldn't approve of any of those, either. She let out a deep breath, and turned back to the heiress, giving her an apologetic smile. "Okay, so maybe I wasn't trying… I was just testing your reaction."

"Why? To see how much you can poke me before I explode?"

Yang shook her head. "No, no! I swear I wasn't trying to offend you, Weiss." She sighed, and flipped to the next page in her notebook. "Everyone knows Blondie can be a hot-headed mess of a writer who sometimes has trouble keeping people around… But before I turned into that, I was a fun person. I just hoped I'd get a laugh out of you at least once. Guess I should've learned your sense of humor before I jumped to conclusions." She shrugged. "There's still one name left, by the way. Doubt you'll like it."

Weiss extended a hand for the notebook. "I'll be the judge of that."

"Yeah, if you think I'm handing over my notebook, you've got another thing coming." She pulled the notebook closer to her face, reading over the name and the little blurb she'd written underneath it, her cheeks reddening as she hid it from Weiss's view. _Snow Pea - Small, pristine, and sometimes cold, but beautiful nonetheless._

"It _must_ be bad if you're blushing."

Yang peered at Weiss over the notebook. "It's not bad, I promise! Or, well, it's not meant to be. And I _swear_ it's not an insult!"

"Just tell me!" Weiss demanded, reaching the end of her tether with Yang's games.

"It's…" Yang glanced away, unable to look Weiss in the eyes and Weiss' expression softened at Yang's sudden lack of bravado. "It's Snow Pea…"

Weiss blinked. "Oh." She let out a thoughtful hum, turning back to her work in front of her, an incomplete cover of Torrez in a panic as he's surrounded by silhouetted figures. She picked up her fineline pen, and began outlining the rough sketch. "Snow Pea and Blondie… Blondie and Snow Pea. It's definitely better than anything else you've suggested so far."

Yang exhaled in relief. "So… is that a yes?"

"I'll think about it," she simply said, a small smile playing on her lips as she continued to work. "Anyway, what do you think of this? Do you want the cover to have the same palette as the panel art, or would you rather I go for something a little different?"

"Surprise me," Yang said, glancing over Weiss's shoulder. "I know it'll be great either way." The heiress looked up and gave her an appreciative smile, which Yang was quick to return. Once Weiss had gone back to work, Yang turned her attention to her Scroll that was sitting at the top left corner of her desk. Now that she'd finished her script and the latest issue of _Lost & Found_ was only a cover away from being complete, she didn't have much to do for the remainder of the afternoon besides keeping an eye on her artist, and the last thing she wanted was for Weiss to feel like she was breathing down her neck.

She checked all of her emails and responded to a few fans on the Beacon forums under an anonymous username, saying she "heard Blondie has found a new artist" and that she couldn't "wait to see what Blondie cooks up next!" It had always been a habit of hers to check the forums whenever she could, to learn from her fans and take their thoughts and criticism into consideration whenever working on her next issue. Like Weiss, they cared about the product Blondie produced, and they always hoped for the story to improve more and more with each panel and page. It was comforting knowing that even in the slew of sour critics and hateful readers who called Blondie incompetent, rude, and just a plain trainwreck, there were still those loyal fans who were always willing to go out on an extra limb and have Blondie's back when she couldn't exactly stand up for herself.

After sending a text to Blake and wishing her well on her day off, Yang leaned back in her chair and was just about set down her Scroll when the device emitted a familiar jingling sound that meant she had received a new text. Half-expecting it to be Blake returning her message, Yang glanced at her screen, only to find a jumbled mess of numbers and letters in place of the sender's contact information. She scrunched her brow as she tried to make sense of the amalgam, silently praying it wasn't a virus or spam. Taking a deep breath, she opened the text, and immediately frowned at the content. _Sayonara, Has-Been!_ the message read, with a photo attachment of the cover of the most recent issue of _Vale Comics Geekly_ Magazine, the main story headline reading " _ **Altered Egos**_ _replaces_ _ **Lost & Found**_ _in the heart of abandoned fandom!"_

"Shit," Yang muttered through clenched teeth, furiously typing up a response, only for her Scroll to reject it when she tried to send the message. Somehow, the recipient had already managed to block her number within the three minutes it took her to read and respond to the text. She let out a growl of frustration and tossed aside her Scroll, hitting her desk with a thud.

Weiss looked up from her work, startled, and furrowed her eyebrows in concern at the sight of Yang's perturbed expression. "What's wrong?"

Yang shook her head. "Junk mail." She pushed away from her desk, and stood up. "I'm gonna go find out who's sending me this crap."

"You mean you didn't have their name?"

"Blocked number." She picked up her Scroll once more and opened her GPS application, immediately typing in the address to Wick-ed Comics. She already had a good inkling of who was behind the text. She met Weiss with a feigned smile. "I'll be back. If you finish beforehand, send Blake a text and she'll come and lock up."

Weiss frowned. "Are you sure? I could go wi-"

Yang stuffed her Scroll into the pocket of her leather jacket. "Nah, it's okay. You've got work to do." She crossed her studio over to the door and pulled her keys off the hook that was hanging on the wall to the left of the doorframe. "Don't push yourself too hard."

Her artist gave her a short nod before turning back around in her chair and returning to her sketches. Yang watched her for a moment, reminding herself once more how different Weiss was from her previous artists. So far, Weiss had been one of the most understanding and patient people Yang had known, and despite all of her outbursts since they'd met nearly a month ago, Weiss still seemed to enjoy whatever time they spent together. Having Weiss around had certainly been a blessing Yang hadn't realized she'd needed until the moment Weiss had walked into her life.

After a moment, Yang turned away, and exited her studio, her frustration beginning to spill over once more as she focused at the task on hand. There were only two people Yang could think of who would send her such a text. The first, and the most obvious, was Junior, the artist who had abandoned her for no reason and hadn't contacted her since. Although Junior had always seemed like a humble person when the two were still working together, Yang had quickly learned that it wasn't completely out of character for him to rub his success in other people's faces. Not even a month after joining Wick-ed Comics, Junior had made the cover of _VCG_ and had interviewed with various other geek culture magazines and columnists, raving about his new position at Wick-ed but never once mentioning his time spent with Blondie at Beacon. It was as if Blondie had never even existed to him, as if _Lost & Found_ was never anything but an afterthought. He didn't even thank Ozpin, the man initially responsible for Junior's success. Without him, Junior would still just be Hei Xiong II, an amateur artist stuck working ten-hour shifts at a dead end factory job barely making enough to get by. Without Ozpin, he'd still be a nobody.

And then there was Neo… Yang cringed at the thought of the other woman, mentally counting all of the ways her former assistant had done her wrong. She wrenched open the driver's side door to her sports car and jammed the key into the ignition, wasting no time as she shifted into drive and tore away from the studio.

She arrived at Wick-ed Comics not twenty minutes later, her blood rushing to her head as she parked in the visitor's lot and stomped toward the main entrance. She was greeted with a stern look from the woman at reception, her eyes burning with a fire almost as hot as the one rising in Yang's chest.

"You again?" she said with a nasty bite. "You _do_ remember that being here is classified as a security violation, yes?"

Yang narrowed her eyes at the receptionist, opening her mouth to speak, but before she could, she was interrupted by a voice echoing behind her from the building's entrance.

"Xiao Long? Is that you?"

She turned toward the doorway where two identical, dark-haired women with striking green eyes had just entered, walking toward them both, one wearing a smile while the other wore an indifferent frown. "Melanie. Miltia. I, uh… it's been a while."

Miltia, the woman clad in a red blazer and skirt combo, stepped forward and laid a hand on Yang's shoulder. Yang met her piercing gaze for a moment, Miltia giving her an assuring nod before turning her attention to the receptionist. "She's with us."

"Really?" the older woman challenged her, reaching into her top desk drawer and withdrawing a folded piece of paper. "Because I have an order right here signed by the Judge himself saying that Miss Xiao Long is banned from Wick-ed Comics, and in the event she breaks that order, I have authorization to have her escorted off the premises by building security."

Melanie, the other woman clad in dark skinny jeans and a white, frilly top, cleared her throat. "You may want to check the date on that order, Cinder," she said. "I believe it expired a month ago, and since then, Yang's hardly been a threat."

Yang rolled her eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you I didn't mean to break that guy's leg? I tripped over one of your stupid, tacky plants, reached for the first thing I could, and he just happened to be passing by."

"You threatened to break more than just his leg if he didn't get out of your way," Cinder deadpanned, leaning back in her chair. She stuffed the piece of paper back into her desk, and sighed. "But fine. You've got ten minutes. Any longer than that and I'll call security."

"Fine." Yang turned to the other women. "Can we take this elsewhere?"

Miltia smiled, looping her arm through Yang's and causing the blonde to flinch at the contact. She didn't pull away, though, as Miltia led her away from reception and toward her office, Melanie following quietly behind. Once they reached the office, Miltia let go of Yang's arm and walked over to one of the two desks located across from each other on either side of the room. She leaned against the desk while Yang stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, her eyes scanning the miscellaneous posters of _Altered Egos_ covers and other titles the twins had worked on throughout their years in the comic book business. Her eyes widened when she spotted a single, smaller poster above one of the woman's desks that clearly displayed the cover from _Lost & Found_'s debut issue, Blondie and Hei Xiong II written in blocky, bold lettering at the bottom right hand corner of the page.

"You're not supposed to be here," Melanie said after a moment, folding her arms over her chest as she took her spot beside her sister.

Yang blinked up at her and swallowed. _Right._ She narrowed her eyes at the twins, the frustration returning as she recalled the text message. "Your people aren't supposed to be taunting me."

"You're breaking security protocol," Melanie reminded her.

"But you just told Ci-"

"I lied."

Yang let out a hot puff of hair. "Well, either way, they're breaking the contract." She pulled out her Scroll and brought up the text, flashing her screen to the twins. " _Someone_ sent me this to try and throw me off my game."

Miltia reached for the Scroll and studied the screen, her eyes flickering as she read through the text. "This isn't even a registered number. You can't prove any of us sent it."

"Come on, who _else_ would do it?" Yang shifted her weight to her left side, resting her hand on her hip. "It's one of them, Miltia. Just give me a few minutes to talk-"

"Junior's not here," Melanie interrupted, taking the Scroll from her sister and handing it back to Yang. "You're wasting your time."

Yang grunted. "Of course he's not. He's never around when I need to speak to him."

Miltia's expression softened, taking Yang by surprise. "Yang. Contrary to your belief, Junior doesn't hate you." She glanced at the _Lost & Found_ poster hanging above the desk opposite hers. "He doesn't regret his time spent at Beacon."

"Ha. Right. That's why he refuses to talk to me." Yang lowered her gaze to the floor, grimacing at the ugly brown carpet that covered the majority of the office. _At least Beacon decorates better than this place…_

"It's not like that," Melanie said, her voice emotionless, as always.

Yang glanced up at them and sighed. "Look, I don't want to get into this right now. Just point me to Neo."

"She's in Junior's office."

"Just don't do anything stupid this time."

Yang gave them a short nod. "Don't give me a reason to." She turned away from the twins and left their office, quickly passing a few other offices as she made her way to the end of the hall where Junior's office was located. She stopped at the door and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself before lifting her hand to knock. _Please don't be in a shitty mo-who am I kidding, she just sent me that horrible text. Of course she's going to be shitty._

The door opened a moment later and Yang directed her gaze downward at the short woman who just a few years her senior but almost a foot below her height. Neo greeted her with a mocking grin, her brown eyes gleaming with mischief. She was about to shut the door in the Yang's face when Yang caught it with her arm, quickly pushing Neo aside and stepping inside hers and Junior's shared office.

The woman walked over to a small loveseat in the far right corner of the office across from Junior's desk. She crossed her arms and glared at Yang smugly as the blonde crossed the office, stopping just a few feet from the smaller woman. "So which one of you did it?" she asked coolly, keeping her voice level.

Neo simply cocked her head to the side, that knowing smirk never leaving her face.

Yang sighed. "Come on, Neo. Don't play dumb with me. I only have five minutes before Cinder calls security, and the last thing I need is yet another reason for Ozpin to suspend me." _I'm lucky he hasn't yet…_

She stood there, waiting, for what felt like an eternity before Neo finally turned her gaze away from Yang and glanced over at the small table that sat next to the loveseat. She picked up a magazine and opened to a page, pointing to an article titled _Vale's Top Ten Comics of the Year._ Yang followed the woman's index finger down to a list of comic book titles, _Altered Egos_ by Melanie and Miltiades Malachite ranking at the Number Three spot. Yang swallowed as she read the two above, and then the one directly below, at Number Four - _Lost & Found_ by Blondie. Neo lifted a hand and flicked her wrist, beginning to rapidly form different shapes and movements with her fingers. _How does it feel to be replaced?_ she signed.

Yang gritted her teeth, reaching for the magazine and reading the small paragraphs that accompanied each title. " _While_ _ **Lost & Found**_ _continues to be the #1 Detective Comic Series in Vale, its mysterious author known as Blondie has been stirring controversy ever since their artist Hei Xiong II (a.k.a. Junior) left the series to draw for the titular and progressive superhero title,_ _ **Altered Egos**_ _. Blondie has been unable to keep a single artist for more than one issue, and if this pattern continues,_ _ **Lost & Found**_ _may soon lose its unique touch. Are there any artists out there who are willing to work with Blondie to bring_ _ **L &F**_ _to its former glory?"_

Neo snapped her fingers to get Yang's attention, and as soon as she had it, she took the magazine back and set it in her lap. She lifted her hands once more to sign. _Sucks, doesn't it? Serves you right._

"Listen, Neo," Yang started, beginning to raise her voice. The other woman held out her palm, warning Yang to keep it down. If anyone heard her yelling, she'd be kicked out of the studio in a heartbeat, and she still needed answers. "I didn't _replace_ you. I got my friend a job because she needed one, and I thought you could use an extra hand. _You_ couldn't keep up with her, and left when we needed you both the most."

_Bullshit_ , Neo signed, her dark eyes narrowing accusingly. _It was clear the moment you started giving her all of my assignments that I wasn't needed anymore._ She dropped her hands for a moment, giving Yang a moment for the words to sink in before she lifted them again and continued to sign. _You should be_ _ **thanking**_ _me for finding Junior this gig. I was only doing_ _ **my**_ _job looking out for_ _ **my**_ _artist. It's not my fault he chose Wick-ed over you._

"You know what, Neo?" Yang stepped closer to Neo, leaning forward to meet the woman's gaze. "I _do_ want to thank you. If Junior had never left, I never would have found the incredible artist I have now! She knows this comic better than you or Junior ever could, and she could draw circles around Junior's art anyday."

The older woman raised an eyebrow. _And how long until you replace her, too? You keep proving your reputation true and no artist is going to want to sign on for_ _ **Lost & Found**_ _. Once she realizes how indecisive and rude you really are, she's not going to want to have anything to do with you._

Yang shook her head. "No, that's not true. Not We-not _her_. She's different, just wait."

Neo leaned back against the loveseat's cushions and looked up at Yang with a knowing grin. She reached out for Yang's wrist and pulled her closer, Yang's blood practically boiling underneath the older woman's touch. She lifted her free hand directly in front of Yang's face, making sure she couldn't look away as she signed once more. _Your new artist, you care about her? That's your problem, Yang. When you care about someone, you push them away. You're going to hurt her more. And she's going to_ _ **hate**_ _you._ _ **Just. Like. Junior.**_

Yang pulled back, swatting away Neo's hands and quickly putting distance between them. "Don't fucking touch me!" She dug her Scroll out of her pocket once more and pulled up the message, holding it close to Neo's unwavering gaze. "And don't fucking text me! Don't fucking talk to me, _or_  Blake, _or_ my artist! Or I swear to God, I'll-"

"You'll what, Yang?"

Neo glanced over Yang's shoulder, her wicked grin widening as Melanie and Miltia entered the office. Yang swallowed as she realized she let her temper get the better of her once again, and she wasn't going to get off easy this time.

"Your time's up," Melanie informed her harshly. "I think you should leave."

"I didn't do anything!" Yang argued, glancing at Neo. "Whatever you heard-"

"She said your time's up," Miltia echoed, her voice much calmer than her sister's. There was a hint of sympathy in her eyes, but Yang could tell it wouldn't be enough to get her off the hook. She had to leave now, or she was going to face serious consequences. Consequences she wasn't about to pay for.

"Fine." She stepped away from Neo and stomped toward the twins. "I suggest you keep a better eye on your assistant," she told them. "And tell Roman if he doesn't uphold his part of the contract, I can't be held responsible for not upholding mine."

"Yang-" Miltia started, but Yang pushed past her, silencing her as she left the office and started down the hall. She was already reaching for her keys when she passed reception, but even with her back turned, she could practically feel Cinder's hateful, spiteful gaze burning a hole through the back of her head.

"Have a _wonderful_ day," she spit at Yang, her words dripping with malice. Yang froze at the sound of her voice, and in a moment of weakness, turned back to face her. A wide grin spread across her face as she lifted both hands to the woman at the desk.

"Go fuck yourself," she said, flipping her two middle fingers before spinning on her heel, and exiting the building. She marched to her car, even more furious than when she'd first arrived, and slammed her door as soon as she was safe inside. Somehow in her blind rage, she managed to make it back to Beacon five minutes faster than it took to drive to Wick-ed, and when she arrived at the studio, it took her a full minute to regain her composure before finding the strength to step inside. She knew Ozpin would be hearing from Torchwick probably within the hour. Poor Blake would have to deal with him on her day off after all.

Yang stopped in front of her office door and drew in a deep breath. From the looks of it, Weiss was still inside, hard at work, and the last thing Yang wanted at that moment was to share an office with someone as sweet and undeterred as Weiss. She didn't deserve to be around after the huge outburst she'd just caused at the competitor's studio. Still, she couldn't just leave Weiss alone. She promised she'd be back.

Exhaling, Yang reached for the knob, and slowly pushed open the door, entering the office with a silent prayer that Weiss wouldn't hear her. Unfortunately, luck was not on her side that afternoon.

Weiss turned in her chair almost immediately at Yang's return, and frowned as she seemed to read Yang's exhausted expression. "What happened? Did you find the sender?"

Yang walked over to her desk and plopped down in her chair, turning away from the heiress. Instead of answering, Yang emptied her pockets of her Scroll and keys, tossing the keys into an empty bowl and plugging the Scroll into a charger on the top shelf.

"Yang?" Weiss pressed, setting down her pen and cutting through Yang's cloudy mind with those concerned, piercing blue eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I'm _fine_ ," the blonde growled, the words coming out harsher than she'd meant. She cursed under breath as she dropped her head to the desk, averting her gaze from the girl beside her.

"You don't look fine."

"No shit," she muttered, bringing her hands to face and burying her head in her palms. She let out a long, defeated groan. "I just want to be left alone for a while, okay?"

Weiss sucked in a short breath, the only sound Yang heard for the next few seconds. After a moment, Weiss let it go, and answered in a tiny, fragile voice. "Okay."

Yang winced, mentally kicking herself for already managing to screw up not even five minutes after returning. _She did nothing wrong, Yang. Cut her some slack._ She closed her eyes, trying to find the right words to say, but all she could think of were a slew of expletives, and she was pretty sure that was _not_ the right way to go.

"Can you at least look at my progress?"

"It's great."

"But you didn't even look…"

Yang lifted her head just slightly and glanced at the sketch Weiss had been working on, the outline now completely finished. She had already started shading the silhouettes. "It looks great, Weiss. As always."

The younger girl gave her a small smile before it quickly faded, and she looked down uncertainly at the page before her. "Where did you go, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I do mind," Yang said bluntly, dropping her head back into her arms. "And I told you I don't want to talk about it."

She heard Weiss slump back in her seat, that familiar tapping of her fingernails against the edge of desk, a sign Yang had quickly learned to mean that the heiress was growing impatient or anxious. And it was Yang's fault. This was exactly the type of behavior Neo was referring to, Yang always pushing everyone away when she didn't want to talk. When she was dealing with something but didn't want to put the burden on those she cared about. But _not_ talking about it only seemed to make things worse.

How could she possibly explain to Weiss what she was feeling without making an even bigger fool of herself? How could she tell her about Neo, about how she'd screwed up so badly last year that she'd actually been banned from Wick-ed Comics? Weiss would never want to work for her if she learned the truth - that Yang was just an angry, bitter person who always said the wrong things at the wrong time, and without fail, managed to push even her closest friends away. It was a wonder Ruby and Blake still wanted to spend time with her even after the year they'd all had.

"Do you want me to get you something?" Weiss tried again after a few moments of awkward silence. "My sister would always-"

"I don't want anything!" Yang snapped, lifting her head and meeting Weiss's shocked gaze. She blinked at Weiss as the heiress drew back with wide eyes, shaking her head as she realized she'd just blown up at her artist - _again_. "Dammit!"

Weiss frowned, turning away from Yang. "I-I'm sorry… I was just trying to help…"

Yang turned her gaze to the neon clock above her desk, needing _anything_ else to look at but Weiss's dejected expression. "I know, just…" She slammed her fists down on her desk, causing the heiress to jump. "You should go home."

"I…" Weiss looked back at Yang, her eyes pleading with her. "But I haven't finished…"

"Do it at home. Or _something_." Yang bit her lip. "I need to be left alone. _Please_."

The younger girl took a moment to respond, a spectrum of emotions crossing her face before she finally gave Yang a weak nod, and gathered up her belongings. She carefully tucked the incomplete cover into her messenger bag along with her case of pens and pencils before looking back at Yang once more, opening her mouth to speak. Yang turned to look at her, waiting to hear what she had to say, but at the last second, Weiss changed her mind, and clamped her mouth shut. She backed out of the office and left the room, leaving Yang alone. Just like she wanted.

Yang sat there for what felt like an eternity, staring at that same clock, wondering what the hell just happened. Maybe Neo was right. Yang was nothing but a hot fuse, just waiting to burn and explode. How would Weiss ever want to come back after that outburst? How could she ever want to work for Yang, for _Blondie_? She'd already lost nearly a dozen artists in the past year. What was one more?

She grunted to herself. _Way to go, Xiao Long. You just lost your ticket._ She sucked in her bottom lip as she pulled her Scroll off the charger, and began to search through her contacts. When she found the name she was looking for, she clicked it, and hastily typed out three simple words: _I fucked up._


	17. Day Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake has a much-needed talk with Neptune.

The skate park was bustling, as usual. Same old crowd, same familiar faces of overexcited children skating down the ramps, and pimply teenagers hanging out by the half-pipe with their hipster jackets and sunglasses, fooling no one into thinking that they were cool. Everything about the scene was the same, but for some reason, Blake couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. And it didn't take a genius to figure out why.

Ever since Weiss had started working at Beacon just two weeks ago, Blake had begun to feel like she no longer had a safe space to be herself. Beacon was the _one_ public place Blake didn't have to hide her ears underneath a bow without fearing someone would shoot a nasty look her way. But now, Weiss was _everywhere_ , and as Yang's assistant, it was Blake's job to also tend to Weiss when she needed it. It wasn't as if the girl asked for much. She'd usually turn down Blake every time she made an offer to grab her a coffee or muffin from the cafe down the street during her daily lunch runs. But just the _thought_ of Weiss somehow shifting her opinion of Blake as just another assistant, another person to wait on her while Blake was _sure_ she had all of that and more at home, made the Faunus feel like she was always the lesser person. It didn't help that Yang definitely seemed to be giving the heiress special treatment.

Just last week, Ruby had invited Weiss over after school to work on _yet another_ art project - it seemed those two did everything together - and of course, out of courtesy, Tai had offered to let her stay for dinner. Weiss, timid as ever, asked Yang and Blake if it was okay and Blake reluctantly bit her tongue. Tai took it as an excuse to put on his baker's cap, and a few hours later they were all sitting around the dinner table enjoying a smorgasbord of cake and pie. Weiss seemed to enjoy herself, though she was terrified of taking too much, and every time her cup was empty she felt it necessary to ask Tai for more with a 'please' and a 'thank you'. There was a moment when Yang and Weiss both reached for the same pie, a simple mince one but easily Yang's favorite, and their hands touched and Blake could've sworn she saw them both blush. Yang gave Weiss a bigger slice and that was that. The night went on and they all laughed and smiled but Blake just couldn't take her eyes off of Weiss, couldn't shake the feeling that the ivory-haired girl shouldn't have been there, and no matter how many looks Blake got from her family, she just could not bring herself to remove her bow. It was a good day. No, it was a great day. And Weiss seemed like every other cute, friendly, dorky person the sisters usually hung out with, but-

"Ground Control to Major Blake."

Blake blinked, drawn back to reality by the sound of a familiar, teasing voice. She glanced up at the tall, blue-haired, helmet-clad dork beside her, and gave a small smile. "Sorry, Neptune, I was totally spacing out."

"Yeah. That was the joke," Neptune fired back, only to be greeted by silence, Blake's lips not tugging upward in the slightest. "Thinking about how you'd rather be literally anywhere but here right now?"

She shook her head. "No, that's not it. We've had these plans for like a week now."

Neptune let out a single chuckle before challenging his friend. "Yeah, but I'm sensing you'd rather be somewhere else. Maybe behind a desk at Beacon?"

Blake sighed. "Actually, that's the last place I want to be right now…" She leaned back against the cool, metal frame of the bench she'd been seemingly glued to for the past half-hour. "I don't know, it's just… You know what? Just forget about it."

"You sure?" he probed some more, reluctant to just drop a topic that had managed to get the usually calm and collected girl so wound up. "You kind of sound like you want to talk about it."

Blake shifted, discomfort beginning to finally set in. _I just want it to go away… whatever "it" is…_ she thought to herself, refusing to meet her friend's gaze. "You know how it is, work gets busy, stuff happens, sometimes a girl just needs a break."

Neptune's concerned expression broke into one of amusement, a short grunt resounding in his throat. "Tell me about it. I've been trying to get the stench of elephant droppings out of my uniform for a week, now."

"Droppings? More like basketballs," Blake teased, actually managing a small smirk. She folded her arms over her chest and let out a patronizing huff. "One thing I'm glad I don't have to worry about at Beacon."

"Oh, I'm sure I can arrange that. My boss is always looking for an excuse to take the animals on a field trip."

"As fun as that sounds, Neptune, I don't think Ozpin would appreciate loose animals on his driveway. He's got to deal with enough rowdy clients and angry artists as it is." Of course, as she spoke, the image of Neptune riding on the back of an elephant, Pied Pipering the entire zoo to Beacon's front door, slowly pieced itself together in her head, growing her smirk into a genuine smile. _Though I'm sure he'd soon leave Rita and the rest of the birds behind._

Neptune raised an eyebrow. "I thought dealing with angry artists was your job?"

Blake shrugged. "Depends on the day of the week, I guess." Her mind briefly flitted back to Yang. Ever since Weiss had come into their lives, those days of the week had become few and far between. Yang still had a temper as was her nature, but it was more subdued. She was more likely to curse under her breath and berate herself internally than she was to stomp or scream or ruin the plasterboard in her bedroom.

He hummed. "So I guess you're not going to tell me what really happened?"

"I already told you," she started, glancing down at the plate of untouched nachos in her lap. "Work's been hectic."

"Alright, I get it," Neptune said in a mock-offended voice, holding his hands out in front of him like a shield. "What about Ruby? You hear anything from her or Sun today?"

Blake glanced up at him with a weak smile, grateful for the change of subject. "Oh please, you know how they are. We'll be lucky if we get even a single-emoji text from either of them."

"Heh."

The Faunus raised a curious eyebrow. "That's it?" she asked, the surprise in her voice completely unrestrained. Neptune was the _first_ person to tease Sun about how forgetful he became around Ruby, lost in his and her own little fantasy bubble.

"Huh?"

"No teasing prod. No joke. No burn," Blake explained, pointing what was, to her, the obvious. "Just 'heh'?"

Neptune bit his lip, seeming to think for a moment, before shaking his head. "Nope."

Blake prodded him once more, unsatisfied with such a simple response from her usually over-talkative friend. "Really?"

The boy just shrugged. "Yeah. I'm happy for Sun." He paused, lifting a hand to adjust one of the straps of his helmet. "Kinda jealous, actually…"

"Wait, what?"

Neptune's face reddened, a reaction the dark-haired girl was not prepared for. It was no secret to their small group of friends that Sun and Ruby had been crushing on each other for practically forever, but not once had Neptune actually seemed particularly _envious_ of what they had. It wasn't unlike the blue-haired boy to go around tooting his own horn about all of the phone numbers he collected on a regular basis, so why did it matter to him whether his friends finally took the plunge or not?

" _You're_ jealous?" Blake asked with a smirk. "Neptune, The Great and Mighty Conqueror of Women's Hearts?"

Her friend gulped, his gaze craftily wandering to Blake's untouched food. "Hey, are you going to eat those, or not? That's like five lien out of my paycheck."

Blake's amber eyes softened. She'd always suspected that maybe those numbers were a bit of an exaggeration, if not a flat out lie. And she had never been truly comfortable with the way Neptune sometimes presented himself around strangers, especially girls. But he always kept that side of him, and any insecurities he might have had, heavily guarded. Slowly, her hand reached out, startling Neptune, though he made no effort to pull away. "You'll find someone, Neptune."

Neptune met her gaze, the urge to smile warring against the similar urge to frown. "You really think so?"

A small nod accompanied Blake's growing smile. "I know so, Nep." Her hand came to rest against the back of his own. "Just be you. Don't try so hard. You're cool enough as you are."

Finally, Neptune's smile won out, tugging at his lips as his hand turned over, taking Blake's. "Thanks…" he spoke, with Blake's only reply being to squeeze his hand gently.

After a few moments, Blake finally removed her hand, and lifted it to his helmet. She gave it a teasing knock. "So you gonna show me something, rockhead? Or are we just going to sit here and let today go to waste?"

Neptune grinned. "Speaking of letting things go to waste-" He picked a nacho from the plate on Blake's lap, and shoved it in the girl's face. "These better be gone by the time I get down that half-pipe."

Blake rolled her eyes and took the chip, shooing him away. She watched as he collected his skateboard from underneath the bench and rode it over to the half-pipe, stopping midway to perform a kickflip and shoot Blake a cocky wink. She let out an amused sigh before finally digging into her snack, ignoring the fact that the cheese had since gone cold and tasted like it came from a spray can.

As she watched from the sidelines, bringing another chip to her lips, she found herself thinking back on hers and Neptune's day. The two had arranged to hang out while Ruby and Sun got some alone time together and their day started fun enough, starting at the beach and continuing with a simple walk to the park. It was when they got there and agreed to stop for a snack that Weiss invaded her mind. With nothing to occupy her thoughts, that girl crept in, as she always seemed to, and Neptune - the cute nerd presently grinding across a guard rail he wasn't actually supposed to be - had tried to help. Blake pushed him away at first but the more she thought about it, the more the idea of confiding in him started making sense. He hadn't yet met Weiss. And he didn't quite have the relationship with Ruby that Sun and Yang did. Maybe he was just disconnected enough right now to be the voice of reason that she needed to hear. She bit her lip in thought, silently wishing she hadn't at the renewed taste of stale nacho cheese, and as Neptune flew up a half-pipe and dropped into the one next to it, she made up her mind.

Neptune came to a stop in the middle of the second half-pipe and looked Blake's way, smirking proudly at her smile of approval and the accompanying thumbs up. He took off once more and Blake relaxed properly for the first time since arriving at the park, slouching slightly against the metallic bench frame and watching on as Neptune continued to show off.

About a half-hour later, Blake found Neptune finally making his way back to the bench, wiping sweat from his brow as he collapsed to the seat. He unclasped his helmet and leaned back with an exhausted sigh, a tired, but content smile on his face. "It's been too long since I've done that."

"You looked like you were having fun," Blake said. "Though you might want to consider bringing some water bottles next time you come out."

He turned his head lazily and let out a light chuckle. "Are you tired? 'Cause I'm not. I could do this all night!"

Blake straightened her back. "Well, before you go off again, I was wondering if we could talk."

Neptune lowered his helmet to his lap. "Of course. What's up?"

"About earlier," she started, pausing to take a deep breath. She exhaled slowly, and lifted her gaze to Neptune's, finding comfort in his patient expression. "So, you've heard about Weiss already, right? I heard Ruby blabbering about it when she and Yang got back from the zoo."

"Oh yeah, that's right," he said with a short nod. "Yang really seems to like her… But I'm guessing you don't?"

Blake frowned. "I… I'm still not sure what I think about her, to be honest. She's… a great artist, and also one of Ruby's best friends. She and Yang pretty much hit it off right off the bat, and Tai likes her, too. But I just… can't help but feel uncomfortable around her. She knows it, too."

"What has you so high-strung?" Neptune asked, the warmth of his voice supplanting any offense in his choice of phrasing. "Like-"

"That's the thing; _I don't know_." It was the truth, and her mind flashed back to the week prior. "She's so nice. And Ruby loves her and it's obvious that Yang _like-likes_ her. And Tai thinks the world of her already. And here I am, stupidly unable to so much as sit next to her at the dinner table let alone take off my-" Blake paused in her rant as Neptune's eyes widened in realization. Her bow scrunched up slightly, evidence of her cat ears curling protectively against her skull. "I _want_ to trust her so much…"

It was Neptune's turn to reach out, pulling Blake close, the raven-haired girl letting her head come to rest against Neptune's shoulder. "Has she done anything to upset you?" Blake shook her head. "What about someone she-"

"No, Neptune," she responded sternly, interrupting her once more. "She hasn't done anything wrong. She treats Sun like everyone else and she's been nothing but kind to me, but I'm still just…" she paused, feeling a need to swallow down a lump in her throat, wetting it in the same motion. "I'm scared."

Neptune responded with the only question he could. "What are you scared of?" He had an idea, but he still wanted Blake to say it. Blake needed to hear herself say it, too.

"I'm scared of how much Weiss already means to everyone. And I'm scared that one day I'll take off my bow and suddenly expose an ugly side to her, a, a, a privileged, prejudicial, discriminatory side of her that thinks I'm just some street rat that Tai should never have rescued from the gutter… I'm… I'm scared that one day Weiss will prove to be nothing like Ruby and Yang think she is, and that everything they found will crumble to dust and we'll be even further back than when we started. I… I…"

She didn't know when they had started. She wasn't even aware they were falling. All she felt was Neptune's finger brush against her cheek, catching a tear before it could go too far. She looked up at him and her lip quivered. "I'm just so paranoid and I hate it…" And with those final words, the dam broke, and Blake cried. "I hate it. I hate it. I hate it… I hate it…"

By the time her tears ceased, Blake had moved closer, hugging Neptune as she cried not on his shoulder, but against his chest. Neptune had just let it happen, holding her close, wishing he was more like Ruby or Yang, wishing that he could find the exact words that would make the pain go away. Though, the more he thought about it, and the longer Blake cried, the more he wondered if no such words existed.

"Y'know what I think?" he finally spoke and Blake glanced up, her eyes red and her cheeks raw. "I think you need to be honest." At that, Blake's eyes widened, fear hiding behind the coating of tears and the bloodshot streaks. "You need to tell Weiss. You need to tell Yang. You need…" He let out a sigh. "No amount of reassurance is ever going to make you trust her, Blake. Sooner or later you're gonna have to be the one to take that first step, whether you want to or not."

Blake's eyes closed, squeezing out a few more tears. Deep down, she knew he was right. She didn't trust Weiss. She couldn't. There was too much at stake. She and Yang had been hurt far too much far too often. But that didn't mean she couldn't take a faithless leap. Better things went bad now than later. She nodded, her eyes opening, a smile once more returning as one of her hands unclenched around Neptune's top and wiped away the tears. "Y-Yeah," she said. "Thank you."

No more words were spoken for ten whole minutes. Neptune fetched some wipes, allowing Blake to make herself look half-decent, and the two just sat there, amber eyes taking in the park scene as she let herself slowly float back down to earth.

Finally, Neptune moved, standing up before offering Blake a hand. Blake took it and he pulled her to her feet. "You're not gonna stay for another round?" she asked and Neptune looked over at the skate pipes.

"Nah. I'm more tired than I thought."

She didn't push it, more than content to just leave it at that, thankful that he seemed to be ready to get out of the public eye. He led her out of the park and to the nearest bus stop, neither of them ready to commit to the long walk back home, and as they waited, Neptune stepped closer. "Can I just-" He reached out slowly and Blake froze up, his fingers delicately finding each end of her bow. He hesitated, waiting for her permission and as she nodded he finally pulled at each end, the cloth coming undone and her ears springing free with an involuntary twitch of happiness. Neptune just smiled. "Still as beautiful as ever," he spoke and Blake smiled, glancing upward as her ears twitched once more.

Seconds later, the sound of a bus pulling up drew them both out of their reveries. It wasn't theirs, but the reminder of their public exposure was enough for Blake to take back the bow and once more conceal her ears. Five minutes later the bus to the pier arrived and the two climbed on. Mindless chatter carried them through the ride and before long Blake was back at her family home. She turned to Neptune at the door, flashing the same smile that she'd had since he'd complimented her Faunus heritage. "Thanks again, Neptune. Today was…" she paused. "It really meant a lot to me."

Neptune just smiled back. "I'm just glad I could help. I'll see you around."

"See you around," Blake replied as Neptune turned away, climbed down the steps and moved over toward his bike.

The two met eyes once more and smiled at each other before Neptune kicked his bike into gear and drove away. After a few more moments, Blake turned toward the house, pulling out her keys and letting herself in. It was empty, as expected with Ruby out with Sun, Yang at work, and Tai doing whatever dads do on weekends. She grabbed a hot pocket from the freezer and threw it in the microwave before collapsing onto the couch, turning on the TV as her feet kicked off her shoes and found the coffee table.

The beep of the microwave was joined by the buzzing of her Scroll and she glanced over at the kitchen before opting to check her messages first. She opened a message from Yang, expecting to find an update about _Lost & Found_, but instead, the three words she found had her heart sinking into her stomach, her biggest fear finally being confirmed.

_I fucked up._

* * *

Blake arrived at Beacon Comics in a new record time, the engine of her rust bucket practically screaming in defiance as she squeaked up into the parking lot. She wasn't sure what to expect to find once she made it inside, but she had a pretty strong feeling it wasn't going to be good.

As she maneuvered her way through the entrance and passed several empty, darkened offices, she bit back any temptations she had to immediately blame Weiss for whatever it was, knowing full-well that _Yang_ was the one infamous for scaring off her artists. As little as she trusted Weiss, and as much as Blake wanted to prove herself right, she knew she had to keep an open, objective mind, even if it killed her.

When she finally reached Blondie's office, the door was cracked open, light still seeping out from inside, and Blake could just barely make out the familiar sound of heavy, angry huffing that usually meant Yang was on the verge of tears. She swallowed the bitter feeling in her throat as she approached the door, and gently pushed it open.

"Yang?"

The blonde flinched at the sound of Blake's voice, her shoulders slumping as she let out a deep sigh, and turned around to face her sister. "Please don't say it…"

Blake felt a sympathetic smile already creeping at the corners of her lips as she entered the office, and walked over to Yang's desk. She glanced at the empty chair beside Yang before quickly snapping her attention back to the mess of a girl in front of her. "Where's Weiss?"

Yang lifted a hand to her hair, nervously running her fingers through a large tuft that hung loosely over her shoulder. "I sent her home," she murmured, her gaze moving anywhere but to Blake.

The dark-haired girl felt her fists clenching at her sides, and despite promising herself she wouldn't, she found herself wondering if Weiss was the one at wrong. "Did she do something to hurt you?" she asked, needing to get the question out of the way.

"No." Yang finally lifted her head, dropping her hand back to her lap as she met Blake's gaze. "I blew up at her, Blake… I blew up at her, but she didn't even do anything wrong."

Blake let out a sigh of relief. However, knowing that Weiss was the victim rather than the culprit only proved to be a small consolation. She still had her sister's declining mental state to worry about - and whether or not she could count on Weiss to return to work the following week. She sat down in the empty chair and turned to face Yang, reaching out for her hands. "Whatever happened, I'm sure you can just apolo-"

"But what if I _can't_?" Yang cut her off, shaking her head. "I _scared_ her, Blake. You should've seen the look on her face. What if she doesn't want to hear from me, or have _anything_ to do with me again?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions," Blake stated calmly. "She means a lot to you, right?"

Her sister nodded.

"Then I'm sure you- _we_ will find a way to make it up to her."

Yang's gaze fell to where their hands were entwined. "It's not that simple…" she muttered, all too aware of the number of bridges she'd burned in the past because of her way too hot temper.

Blake's eyes narrowed, reading those same thoughts in Yang's expression as if she were an open book. She had been there for every last outburst since the two had met. So many friends, so many coworkers, so many people that Yang had chased away. And yet not a single one of them drew this reaction out from her, not a single one of them scared her into thinking she'd made an irreparable mistake. Even now, Blake didn't know what to think about Weiss, but the more she learned, the more it became apparent that Weiss was _very_ important and _very_ special to the people Blake cared about most.

She closed her eyes and let out a sigh before opening them once more, gold meeting lilac. "Start from the beginning."


	18. Work Is For the Workplace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss finds herself in hot water as she tries to comprehend the reasoning behind Yang's outbursts.

The rest of that afternoon passed way too slowly. Walking around the streets of Downtown Vale, Weiss had never realized just how little she actually knew about the city. She had spent countless hours and days studying the history of Vale and memorizing names and numbers of important businessmen and women who would potentially benefit from a partnership with the SEC, but it was very rare that she would actually step into the city herself and learn the way of the streets. So after hours of wandering, Weiss found herself hopelessly lost, tired, and worried about her current position at Beacon Comics.

Though she still didn't exactly understand what she did wrong, Yang had made it clear to Weiss that she was not wanted around. Whether that was permanent or just a temporary situation, it didn't matter to Weiss. All she cared about was trying to find a way to fix things, to apologize to Yang for whatever it was that set her off, to prove that she was still worthy of working alongside her favorite author and someone she thought she could call her friend. But the more she thought about it, the more she wondered if there was even anything to apologize for at all, and it only amplified the anxiety and frustration that had been welling up inside of her since she left the studio a few hours earlier.

After a while, Weiss finally came across a little marketplace in the center of town that she recognized from when Ruby dragged her there a couple of weeks ago during a lunch break. She sat down on the first bench she could find and let out a sigh as she took a good look at her surroundings. The first time she had gone with Ruby, Weiss couldn't help but feel like she was being watched; after all, it wasn't everyday that the heiress of the Schnee Electronics Company took a stroll out in the middle of town, especially after the accident a year ago. She even swore she could hear a few civilians whispering to each other as soon as Weiss turned her back, but Ruby had just assured her that she was hearing things, and that the people of Vale couldn't care less. Now, as she sat, watching Humans and Faunus alike pass by, carrying casual conversations and going in and out of stores, Weiss realized Ruby was right. No one seemed to notice or care that a Schnee was sitting all alone, lost, confused, and now a little hungry.

She reached into the front pocket of her messenger bag and pulled out her Scroll as a tiny rumble sounded from her stomach. The time read _5:07_ , just twenty-three minutes before her family usually started dinner. If she didn't make it home by then, her father would start to worry, and he'd know something went wrong at work.

Weiss leaned back against the bench and drew in a deep breath, closing her eyes as she tilted her head up to the sky. _What a waste of an afternoon…_ she thought, silently wishing she could go back and stop herself from doing whatever it was that made Yang so suddenly upset. If she had just kept her mouth shut, just did her work, then Yang would've brought her home the same as always, and maybe things would still be okay between them. She _really_ wanted things to be okay between them…

After another quick moment, Weiss opened her eyes, and looked back down at her Scroll. She pulled up a list of emergency contacts and dialed the closest cab company, using her surroundings to the best of her knowledge to give the receiver her location. After hanging up, she sat and waited another ten minutes before a little yellow car finally parked at the curb just a few feet down from where Weiss was sitting. She climbed into the back, told the driver where to go, and tuned him out the entire way home, finding herself once more lost in her thoughts about Yang.

She really thought they were starting to bond. Between spending time at the Rose-Xiao Long household and sharing Yang's favorite treat, their hands briefly touching and then Weiss _swearing_ she saw Yang blush, Weiss honestly couldn't help but feel giddy every time she saw Yang since. And when Yang finally christened her with a penname she had come up with all on her own, Weiss secretly reveled in the idea that her new name would be right next to Blondie's on the front cover of the next issue of _Lost & Found_. Yang had given the heiress practically everything she had ever wanted, and yet it now somehow felt like all of that was being taken away. And because of what? A little outburst? A misunderstanding? Or had Weiss overstepped her boundaries, risked ruining that connection between them for good? Could she even go back to Beacon and face Yang after the way they had ended things that afternoon?

She was so consumed in her thoughts that she barely even noticed the cab pulling up to the Schnee Estate fifteen minutes later. It wasn't until the driver cleared his throat and called her name that she realized that they had arrived, and she apologized as she frantically collected her things, pulling a 50 lien card from her wallet and telling him to keep the change. She ran up to the house as fast as she could, her head low as she stepped through the front door, and waited for her father to chew her out for being late.

"Weiss, is that you?" came a familiar voice from the living room, but not the one she was expecting. She looked up as her sister entered the foyer, her warm, inviting smile immediately causing the younger girl to relax. "Late night?"

Weiss nodded, swallowing back the ache in her throat as she resisted the urge to tell her sister everything. The last thing she needed was for their father to overhear and ban her from ever returning to Beacon - that was, if Yang actually wanted her back.

"Mother's running a little late today," Winter continued, reaching for Weiss's bag. "Here, I'll bring this upstairs while you go get cleaned up. Dinner should be ready any minute."

"Th-thank you," Weiss finally managed to whisper, her nerves once again getting the best of her as she shrugged off her bag and handed it to her sister. She silently prayed Winter wouldn't catch on, but if she did, her sister didn't seem to show it. As soon as the older Schnee disappeared up the stairs, Weiss kicked off her shoes and headed into the dining room where she found her father reading the daily paper.

The man looked up upon her entrance, a brow raised as he lowered the paper to the table. "You're back late," he noted, his tone more trivial than accusatory, which Weiss saw as a good sign.

"Yeah, uh, my boss decided to work a little overtime," Weiss fibbed, hoping her father wouldn't notice the hesitance in her voice. "So I had to call a cab."

"You should have called your sister," he pressed, his voice still level. "Some of those drivers aren't to be easily trusted."

"I wasn't sure if she'd be home. Besides, I'm fine."

Her father nodded. "Very well, then. Just be more careful next time." He gestured to the seat beside him. "Sit down, your mother will be here an-" His voice was cut off by the sound of the front door opening, and Weiss turned to see her mother entering the foyer. "Speak of the Devil."

"Sorry for the wait, honey, I had a late meeting," her mother called out, her face turned away as she took off her shoes.

"Weiss," her father said once more, grabbing the heiress's attention. "Sit."

She gave her father an apologetic smile and finally moved toward the table, taking a seat at his end. She kept her head down as her mother entered the dining room, followed shortly by Winter who had just returned from upstairs. Once all four members were seated, Weiss dug into her food, ignoring any conversation her parents had about business, her mind still too full with thoughts about her own job, about the cover she neglected to finish that was due by the beginning of next week. Maybe if she could get it done, she could scan it over to Yang and prove to her just how hard she was willing to work in order to keep her job. Maybe she could attach a note, too, letting Yang know just how much it meant to be able to work with her. Or would that be a little too much?

She was interrupted from her thoughts once more by a sudden jolt of pain in her shin, and she glanced up to see her sister giving her a concerned look from across the table. She raised an eyebrow, challenging Winter as she kicked her back, her sister narrowing her eyes in disdain. The older woman cleared her throat, grabbing both of their parents' attention, and Weiss felt herself shrink back in her seat as Winter put her on the spot.

"So, Weiss, how was work?"

Their parents immediately turned their gazes toward Weiss, expecting a positive answer. "Yes, how is this new… _partnership_ working out?" her father asked, clearly still uncomfortable with the idea of his daughter working for a place as fundamental as Beacon Comics.

Weiss bit her lip. "It's, uh, going alright, I guess," she answered quietly, making a point to look anywhere but her sister, whom she knew was watching her with suspicion. "I'm designing the cover for the next issue of a comic that's due next week." She poked around at what little was left of the dinner on her plate, and let out a small puff of breath. "I was actually hoping I could be excused so I can go work on it."

"You brought it home with you?" her father asked, his voice beginning to harden. "Work is for the workplace, Weiss."

She looked up and met her father's disapproving gaze. "Yes, I didn't get the chance to fini-"

"So you can work on it this weekend. It's a school night, you have homework."

Weiss felt her muscles begin to tense. If she didn't finish the cover tonight, then how would she know Yang would still want her to show up to Beacon the next day? She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle it if Yang slammed the door in her face. She just needed to finish this cover, prove to Yang that she cared, that was going to do everything it took to get herself back in Yang's good graces… She couldn't handle another outburst like today.

"I need to finish it tonight."

Her father shook his head. "If you had stayed at the studio and called to let me know you were working overtime, I would have let you. You do not bring your work to this house."

 _You and Mom do all the time,_ she thought, though she couldn't bring herself to say. She knew her parents were both busy people and only did what they could to keep the SEC on the rise. But she couldn't explain to her father why she needed to get this cover done. If he found out she had already been sent home by her first boss, he would be livid. She was supposed to be a Schnee, supposed to know how to ease business situations, always know how to keep her job safe. But Yang was such a complicated person, and Weiss was still in the belief that she had done nothing wrong. So why did she still feel like she had?

"You said it's not due until next week, right?" Winter cut in. The concern was still present in her voice, and Weiss knew her sister could tell that something had happened. Fortunately, their parents didn't know Weiss nearly as well as her sister, so even if Winter could tell that something was wrong, her parents were still as oblivious as ever.

"Yes, but there are other things I have to work on," Weiss tried to elaborate, her parents seeming to buy the lie, but Winter still not letting down her guard. "If I get behind, I could-"

"You made the decision to leave work without finishing it," her father said. "Personally, if you were my employee and you left knowing you hadn't completed what was asked of you, I wouldn't be too keen on allowing you extra time to get it done. If you can't follow the rules, then you shouldn't be working there in the first place."

"They told me I could bring it home!" Weiss argued, another lie, but she was desperate to find any reason to leave the table at this point. She was already having a bad day, the last thing she needed was for her family to make it worse.

It didn't matter, though. Her father had already made up his mind. "You're going to sit here until the rest of us have finished eating, then you're going to clear the table. You're going to do your homework down here, and your sister's going to sit with you until it's done. If you have time to spare, you can work on that cover. But if I find out you stayed up past your bedtime, you're going to be grounded for a week. Does that sound reasonable?"

Weiss just sighed. She knew her father wasn't trying to be difficult. She had promised when she was offered the job at Beacon that she would continue to put her schoolwork first, and she intended to keep that promise. But to have Winter watching her like a hawk just to make sure she got it done? Wasn't that a little overkill? Did her father really not trust her that much? She should have been grateful he was giving her the opportunity to work on the cover at all. He was right; if she couldn't manage to do her work on the clock, then that was her fault. And if Yang hadn't yelled at her, maybe things would've been different. But for now, she had to abide by her father's rules. His were the ones that mattered the most, after all.

"Yes, sir…"

And so she sat, her head down and her stomach uneasy throughout the rest of dinner. Even when her mother tried to compliment her on her dedication to her job, Weiss found she was barely able to mutter a "thank you" without it feeling insincere. She appreciated her parents, she really did, but neither of them could possibly understand how much working for Yang truly meant to her, and how ridiculous and useless she felt for possibly screwing it all up. She wanted to tell them the truth, but she knew her mother would just tell her to get over it, and her father would disapprove all together. Sometimes, being the daughter of one of the biggest business families in the world really sucked…

* * *

Later that evening, Weiss found herself staring at a passage in her History textbook, unable to focus as her sister fidgeted in the chair beside her, clearly bored out of her mind. She knew Winter didn't want to be there just as much Weiss, and she was probably sacrificing Scroll time with Jim in place of watching Weiss struggle to read, but Winter knew better than to test their father, especially after the accident. Their father was in the den and probably wouldn't even notice if Weiss went upstairs to work on something else, but if he came out to get a drink and found the dining room table empty where Weiss was supposed to be, both girls would be punished as a result.

"This is so ridiculous," her sister finally said after Weiss tried and failed to read the same passage three times.

Weiss groaned, and dropped her head onto the book. "It's not exactly easy to read with someone breathing down my neck."

"So stop trying to read, and tell me what's really bugging you."

She glanced up at Winter. "Am I really that dense?"

Her sister smirked. "I know there's a reason you really want to get that cover done, and I know it's not because you were as careless as Father seems to think. Why were you _really_ late tonight?"

Weiss shook her head. "You're going to think it's stupid…"

"Weissy, did you forget who you're talking to?"

"But I _am_ stupid!" She pushed her chair back from the table, turning her gaze to her hands as they dropped into her lap. "I thought everything was going perfect… Yang picked out a penname for me and we were poking fun at each other, completely harmlessly. Then she got a message on her Scroll and said she had to go out for a while, and when she came back, she just… I don't know. She shut down. And I tried to talk to her about it, but she got upset, started yelling, and sent me home… I spent the afternoon wandering the streets of Downtown Vale, wondering what I did wrong. I ended up getting lost, and when it came close to dinnertime, I just called a cab to bring me home."

Winter let out a sympathetic hum. "You're not stupid, Weiss… I mean, you're a little dense for not calling me, but it seems to me you just had a bad day. Did Yang tell you what she was upset about?"

"She just said she didn't want to talk about it…" Weiss bit her lip. "What if… what if I did something to upset her? I've been thinking about it all day, and I can't figure out for the life of me what I could've possibly said or done, but I just don't understand how everything was going so perfectly fine, and then suddenly _this_ happens… What if she decides she doesn't want me anymore just like she didn't want all of those other artists?"

"Don't talk like that."

Weiss looked up at her sister. "But, Winter, how am I supposed to face her? What am I supposed to even _say_? What if she blows up again?"

The older woman smiled reassuringly. "Weiss, she chose you for a reason. You two _connected_ for a reason, too. I'm sure whatever's going on has nothing to do with you, and when she's ready to talk, she will. But for now, you need to separate those personal fears and feelings, and try the best that you can to make things work. If she knew how dedicated you were to finishing that cover tonight, I'm sure she'd be very proud."

"That's _why_ I wanted to get it done tonight… I was hoping that sending it to her might cheer her up…"

Winter reached out and laid a hand on Weiss's shoulder. "I'm sure she would've really appreciated it, too. But for now, you just need to try to focus on your homework, or else there won't be any time at all to work on that cover. Go back to Beacon tomorrow, and prove to Yang that you're there to stay. This job, and that girl, mean way too much to you to just give up."

Weiss sighed. "Is it… is it bad that I still like her, even after what happened today?"

Her sister just laughed. "If you can still like her at her worst, then she's got to be a pretty great person at her best."

"She really is…"

Winter smiled, and pulled Weiss into a hug. "Good. Then make sure you don't let her, or your job, get away."

Weiss felt herself relax in her sister's embrace, her head resting on Winter's shoulder, hesitant to pull away. After those pointless outbursts with Yang and her father, it was nice to know that she could still count on her sister to make sure she was okay at the end of the day.

"So what are you reading, anyway?" her sister asked after a moment. "Maybe I can help get this assignment done a little quicker?"

Weiss lifted her head, and glanced at the textbook. "I'm supposed to read this passage about the Ancient Creatures of Grimm and write a short paper about how mankind would adapt if the creatures were still alive today."

Mulling over the passage, Winter let out a hum. "That's a bit of a loaded question."

"Oh?" Weiss responded, intrigued by the tone of her sister's voice. She sounded... _inspired_ , but that inspiration was marred in something else, something dark.

"Well, what if we were to say... fail." The heaviness of Winter's tone spoke louder than the words themselves.

"You mean what if we-"

"Yup."

Weiss lowered her head in thought, silently picturing a world infested with Grimm, trying to find some way - any way - for the people she cared about to survive. Winter, Ruby, Pyrrha, Blake... Yang... It made her heart seize up.

"Weiss?" her sister called, snapping her back to reality. She merely blinked twice in response as Winter pulled her closer. "Don't worry. The Grimm are gone. They've been gone for ages." Her tone softened, a light-hearted chuckle bringing Weiss's mind to ease once more. "They can't hurt anyone anymore."


	19. Point of View

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby begins to have a change of heart.

For a class focused on Emerald, Art went by painlessly enough. Ruby had met up with Weiss outside at their usual spot, and they entered together, chatting about their nights. Weiss notably avoided discussing work, but Ruby knew better than to ask, having been filled in by Blake about Yang’s outburst just the day before. She had faith that Weiss would return to Beacon that afternoon, if only to finish up her works in progress. All that was left was to hope for Yang to show up as well. Her sister, especially in recent times, had grown to dread conflict, and Ruby knew that the longer it took Weiss and Yang to patch up their differences, the harder it would become for Yang to “find” the time. 

After talking about literally anything else for the last few minutes before class began, Emerald finally showed up just seconds before the bell. She offered Weiss a smile, as always, and gave Ruby that same off-putting nod of acknowledgment that the brunette ignored every single time. She was dressed differently than usual, having traded in her usual blazer and pleated skirt for a casual blouse and skinny jeans that framed her form well, her long, mint-green locks braided in the back and draped over her right shoulder. Even Ruby had to admit Emerald looked much better-suited in this new style, but she wouldn’t dare tell the girl that, lest her head get any bigger than it already was. 

_ Still a bitch _ , she thought bitterly as the teacher finally entered the room, late per usual, and announced for the class to begin. Ruby started to sketch the curves of Emerald’s body, mostly from memory, at first, until she reached the more detailed parts of the older girl’s attire that required Ruby to actually look up from her canvas and give the model her full attention. Once she had committed Emerald’s outfit and hairstyle to memory and was confident enough to glance away, Ruby turned to Weiss, and nudged her lightly with her elbow. 

“So what  _ do _ you want for your birthday?”

Weiss glanced over with a smile. “You don’t have to get me anything.”

Ruby let out a thoughtful hum. “Maybe a limited edition issue of  _ Lost & Found _ ? What’s something I can get that your parents can’t—”

“Seriously, Ruby, I don’t want anything,” the heiress insisted. “I’ve already got everything I need, and working  _ with _ Yang trumps anything  _ Lost & Found _ -related you could possibly get your hands on.”

“Ah-ha!” Ruby clicked her tongue, glancing back at her canvas as she added a few strands to Emerald’s braid. “So you  _ do _ still enjoy working with my sister.”

Weiss sighed. “I never said I didn’t, Ruby. One little outburst isn’t going to scare me away, and even  _ if _ your sister decided she didn’t want me anymore, I’d still be eternally grateful for the opportunity to work with her while I could.”

The younger girl frowned. “She still wants you, Weiss.” She picked up a sharpener from the tray of her easel, not really needing to refine the tip of her pencil, but deciding she needed another distraction while she changed the subject back to something a little more lighthearted. “You can’t tell me you don’t want  _ nothing _ , though. I’m your friend, and friends give each other gifts.”

Weiss shook her head, but she didn’t even try to hide the smirk that formed at the corners of her lips. “If it’s  _ really _ that important to you, why don’t you get me a card?”

Ruby just pouted. “You’re so boring…”

“In what way?” asked Weiss. “I might not be as dorky as Jaune, as adventurous as Blake, or as… alluring to you… as Sun…” Weiss flashed a devious grin in Ruby’s direction. “But I’m sure there’s at least  _ some _ reason why I’m your best friend.”

Ruby didn’t answer, instead turning her blushing face back toward her canvas, hoping that Weiss would notice the attention to detail of the frills on Emerald’s blouse sleeves, and leave her to it. Ruby had no such luck.

“So, what is it, Ruby? Do I need to take up parkour? Maybe I should volunteer for the next school musical. Or maybe I should start hanging around skate parks and zoos in an open shirt.”

Ruby spluttered, and thanked the heavens that she hadn’t yet started to ink her sketch. “N-No! That’s not it! I’m j-just joking!” Turning away from Weiss, she gently fanned her face with her hand, before turning back. 

“I don’t know… I may need to reevaluate my life choices. Maybe being an artist or heiress just isn’t enough for you. I shall become Weiss Schnee, Zookeeper by day, gamer by night!”

“Okay! Okay!” Ruby exclaimed, holding up her hands in defeat as Weiss grew more obnoxious and absurd-sounding by the second. “You win. You’re awesome, okay? Actually… I was thinking about our project…” Weiss raised an eyebrow, letting out an interested hum. “Well, we had so much fun doing it, and I learned a lot, and you got to meet my family, and spend time at my house, and we got top marks, and that whole art show thing, and—” 

“Ruby. Proper sentences.”

Ruby coughed, clearing her throat before meekly apologising. “Anyway, I was wondering if… maybe you wanted to collab with me again? Maybe on the end of semester cultural exposé for Mistral?”

Weiss’s eyes lit up, her own work all but forgotten amongst her teasing and Ruby’s sudden brainwave. “That would be…” Weiss thought about her words, clearly not wanting to sound too eager, especially after claiming Jaune was dorkier than she was. “Acceptable.” 

Beaming, Ruby threw herself forward, hugging Weiss. “Oh, this is gonna be awesome!” she squealed before pulling away. “Plus you completely forgot about my crush on Sun…” She gave a small giggle and turned back to her art.

“Oh, believe me, Ruby,” Weiss spoke, gaze refocusing on her own piece. “I will  _ never _ forget about your crush on Sun.”

“Yeah, well, your dad would  _ never _ let you become a gaming zookeeper extraordinaire, either. So I guess we both lose.”

They fell silent for a few short moments, adding the finishing touches to their portraits before the final bell rang. When class ended, Ruby was quick to pack up her belongings, only to be stopped by Weiss just as she was about to head out of the room. 

“So, I was thinking, with this being an exposé on the culture of  _ Mistral _ , what do you think about asking Emerald to be our model?” Weiss asked, nodding in the bright-haired girl’s direction.

Ruby followed her friend’s gaze through narrowed eyes, watching with a sour taste in her mouth as Emerald seemed to catch their gazes, and offered a timid wave. Ruby had to actually bite back the urge to groan as she turned back to Weiss and gave her the politest smile she could muster. “You know who else is from Mistral?” she started, reaching for Weiss’s messenger bag. She handed it to the heiress as the ivory-haired girl tucked away her sketchbook, giving Ruby a grateful nod. “And who we  _ know _ we can both work with outside of school hours?”

Weiss slung her bag over her shoulder, a smile slowly stretching across her face in realization. “Pyrrha! I don’t know why I didn’t think of her first!”

The younger girl grunted. “I have to say, Weiss, I think that’s a first.”

“Ruby!” Weiss exclaimed, her cheeks immediately reddening at the connotation of Ruby’s words. She grabbed the brunette by the wrist, and practically yanked her out of the art room. “Come on. I’ve got a ride to catch.”

“You mean we both do,” Ruby corrected her. “Blake’s picking us up.”

Weiss furrowed her eyebrows. “I’m pretty sure my sister said she’d—” she stopped mid-sentence, pulling her Scroll out of her bag and checking her messages. Her eyes widened when she found a text from Winter saying she wasn’t going to make it. “But how—?”

Ruby smirked. “Don’t question Blake’s methods. It’s for your own good.”

The heiress nodded. “O-okay, then. I guess I’ll be going with you…”

Barely allowing her friend a single second to fully register the news, Ruby yanked her wrist, using Weiss’s own grip to pull her along. The artsy corridors and heavy doors were all a blur to Ruby as they whizzed by, so she had no clue what it must have been like for Weiss who tripped and stumbled behind her, barely keeping her footing. Ruby also refused to stop, however, regardless of her sympathy. She wanted,  _ needed _ , to get Weiss to that car. If she could just do that then Blake would do what Blake always did, and make everything better again. At least that was Ruby’s hope.

By the time they were outside, Weiss had long since given up her grip on Ruby’s wrist, and had simply started following the energetic girl at an actually sane pace that her own two legs could comprehend. “Y’know,” she began, “Have you ever considered joining the track team? With those legs of yours you could be a star…”

Ruby blushed. She would never,  _ ever _ be used to compliments. “Actually, I kind of wanted to, but after what the team did to Scarlet, well, I, uh…” she looked down sadly. “I don’t think I’d really be as happy there as I am just running solo, y’know?” Ruby smirked. “Plus, I just like dragging you along.”

Weiss groaned. “Y’know, for a second there I _ almost _ cared about you.” 

“Well…” Ruby continued. “I may not be as sweet and apologetic as Pyrrha. Maybe I don’t quite know how to cheer you up like Winter can. And I might not be your all-time favourite author like my sister. But I know you care about me even the littlest bit. Why else would you be my best friend?” 

The heiress’s jaw dropped, speech stolen away from her and replaced with what could only be considered a genuine awe at Ruby spinning her own words back against her. “I-Isn’t that Blake’s junkyard over there?” she finally said, pointing toward the parking lot.

“Aww…” Ruby cooed, looking over toward Ol’ Shitty. “Don’t say things like that! You’ll give her a complex!” Weiss rolled her eyes.

“Oh please, I’ve heard you, Blake, Yang,  _ and _ Tai call it way worse things than that.”

Letting the subject drop with a sweet little laugh, Ruby stepped out into the parking lot and made the short trip over toward Blake’s independable banger. “I am so gonna tell her you said that,” she teased and Weiss folded her arms and huffed in response. The playfulness didn’t translate over, however, once they reached the car. Window down, Blake peered out, and glanced up at Ruby.

“Sorry, Rubes. Gonna have to be a quick drop off. Weiss and I have important business to attend to.”

With that, Blake turned back toward the wheel, bracing her hands against it while Weiss and Ruby both hopped into the back. The second Ruby heard both hers and Weiss’s belts click in place, Avery sped off, making short work of the road that led out of the now quiet school. Ruby found herself at a loss for things to say. She wanted to continue her conversation with Weiss, but Blake seemed to be focused. She also didn’t particularly seem that connected to Weiss, with what little progress the duo had made over the past month dissipating during what felt like an eternal car ride.

That worried Ruby. Blake had always placed distance between herself and Weiss for a variety of reasons. Chief among them was the idea that Yang and Weiss wouldn’t last forever, or at least Blondie and Weiss wouldn’t. Blake’s retreat, as a result, proved to be a sign to Ruby that even Blake wasn’t entirely sure she could douse the bridge that Yang had already started to burn.

“So… Ruby…” the raven-haired girl finally spoke. “How was school?” Golden eyes flickered up to the rear view mirror and Ruby met them, relief shining in her own silver eyes.

“Pretty good, actually,” she responded, smiling at the Faunus. “My classes flew over, mostly because I kind of dozed in Math, but still! And Weiss and I are going to do another project!”

“That’s good!” Blake exclaimed before shifting gears, glad to be out of the residential area and on a straight road. 

“Yeah!” Ruby cheered in response. “But it’s not even the best part! According to a certain somebody, I’m also an awesome athlete!” She nudged the girl sat two seats down from her with her elbow, stretching the seatbelt to do so, whom merely rolled her eyes in response.

“I so did not say that…” she huffed. “I said you should try out for the school track team…” 

Ruby paid Weiss no heed, her grin simply growing. Blake continued to focus on the road unabashed, seeming to completely ignore Weiss’s comment. “With those legs,” Ruby began to mimic Weiss’s voice, fluttering her eyelashes and clasping her hands together. “You could be a star!” She didn’t stop rubbing her cheeks against her entangled hands even after Weiss cast her a narrow glare.

“Grr… I so did not say it like that!” she shouted indignantly, only to be caught off-guard by a third voice.

“But you  _ did  _ say that,” Blake added, once more glancing in the rear-view with half a smirk stretching her right cheek.

“I-I-” Backed into a corner, Weiss opted to do the only thing she could. She huffed. With her arms folded and her lips pouting, she let out a heavy “Humph!” and turned away from Ruby. “You try to pay a girl a compliment!” she spoke as Ruby just laughed away, clutching her stomach and testing the health and safety regulations of the elasticated seat belt as she threw herself back and forth.

A few seconds passed in Ruby’s raucous laughter before actual words were spoken once more. Once again, much to both Weiss and Ruby’s surprise, it wasn’t either of them. “And, you, Weiss?” Blake asked, earning a confused hum. “How was your day?”

“O-Oh…” Weiss straightened herself up in her seat, smoothing down her skirt and flashing Blake a smile. Ruby caught sight of the gesture but didn’t question it, hoping that she’d see many more smiles shared between the duo in the future. “It went well! The new model really seems to be hitting her stride in art, and it’s just been really nice being able to relax more and still feel like part of the conversation…” She couldn’t help but blush. “I guess I have Ruby and Yang to thank for that…” 

Ruby had noticed it, too. Ever since that day at the park, Weiss had grown as a person, emerging more from her shell, and talking not just with Pyrrha, but with all kinds of people. Whether it was a simple greeting in passing, checking on people who didn’t look like they were at one hundred percent, or daring to poke her nose into nerdy conversation between Jaune and his friends, Weiss had certainly put herself out there more than Ruby had ever seen her before. And Ruby had to admit she liked this new side of her, this newfound confidence, even if some of Weiss’s choices of friends were a little…  _ questionable _ …

“That’s good,” Blake replied, drawing both girls back from their separate reveries. “I’m glad you feel more confident.” Glancing up into the mirror one last time, Blake’s half-smile grew into a full one, or at least as full as the Faunus could currently manage with Weiss. “Anyway, we should be there soon.”

The music came on for the brief remainder of their journey, Blake clearly hoping to restore some energy and positivity to the two girls after accidentally ruining two very good moods. Weiss couldn’t help but hum along, and Ruby, who would normally ruin the song with her dreadful voice, found herself silenced, her ears perking up to the gentle tones of her best friend. Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby also noticed Blake’s bow twitch, and prayed that Weiss, if she wasn’t already clued in to Blake’s secret, hadn’t spied it. But Weiss seemed quite content to hum away, her eyes closing as she leaned back and relaxed.

It wasn’t until the car and music both came to a stop that Weiss’s calmness morphed into worry. Ruby stepped out, and spied the girl chewing on her bottom lip and glancing at her nails. As if she was psychic, Blake spun around to look over at Weiss. “It’s gonna be okay,” she said, her voice just shy of a promise before she glanced toward Ruby. “I’ll see you soon. Don’t have too much fun without us.”

Ruby nodded, giving them both a small smile as she watched Blake pull out of the driveway. Once the car was out of sight, Ruby turned toward her house, and started up the steps, her mind already wandering with questions of how she would pass the time. 

She went to her room and plopped down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling as she let out an audible sigh. As happy as she was for Weiss, it had been difficult spending most of her afternoons alone the past couple of weeks, her sister and now all of her friends too busy with their own work to hang out anymore. Sure, she still had her friends on the weekends, but it made her weeknights long and boring, and finishing her homework wasn’t nearly as rewarding as it used to be now that she had nothing else to do once her work was done.

_ Even Jaune is too busy rehearsing for the musical to hang out… _

After a few moments of absolute silence, Ruby rolled over and glanced down at her backpack that was leaning against her bed. She sat up, dangling her legs over the side of her mattress, and reached down for her bag. She opened the top and flipped it upside down, shaking it from the bottom as its contents spilled out onto her mattress. She picked up her sketchbook and began flipping through the pages, smiling at the earlier ones she’d done of Pyrrha back when the redhead still came to class in her everyday casual attire. While Ruby enjoyed the challenges Pyrrha’s elegant costumes from the Drama Department offered, she always found that Pyrrha was the most striking when she was dressed as herself, needing nothing more than a simple t-shirt and jeans to show that she was just as beautiful even when she wasn’t trying. 

Maybe that was why Ruby found Emerald particularly more pleasant to draw that afternoon. It was the first time Ruby had ever seen the older girl wearing something considerably more casual, and for once, she didn’t feel like Emerald was being  _ fake _ . Sure, the girl still got on her nerves, and Ruby still couldn’t trust her as far as she could throw her — which, too be fair, probably wasn’t even that far — but something about Emerald’s new look made her feel more authentic, more stripped down and approachable than ever before. And maybe, just  _ maybe _ , there was something there behind those fiery red eyes after all.

Ruby flipped to the last page of her sketchbook, opening to the sketch she’d just finished of Emerald that day in class. She tucked the book under her arm and pushed herself up from her bed, wobbling on her heels for a couple of seconds before she found her footing, and started across the room toward her portable easel. She folded up the stand and tucked it under her free arm, and grabbed a couple of pens and brushes from the cup on her desk before heading out into the living room. 

She set up her easel in front of the large bay windows where the sun’s rays were shining through, providing a perfect light and beautiful view of the beach from where she stood. She went back into the kitchen to grab a stool from the island, dragging it across the wood floors with a loud scraping sound that woke Zwei from his slumber on the sofa, and caused the corgi to let out an annoyed squeak. 

“Sorry, Zwei,” Ruby said softly as she came to a stop, giving the dog’s head a gentle pat. He responded with a fond lick to her hand before nuzzling back into his cushion, and immediately dozing back off. 

Once she had the stool at a comfortable distance from her easel, Ruby opened to a blank page in her sketchbook, and began to draw. At first, she wasn’t even really sure what she was drawing; her hands did all of the work for her as her pens danced across the page, lines beginning to form curves, and curves beginning to take shape. Pretty soon, Ruby got lost in her stride, her perception of time seeming to fall away, too, as she traded in her pens for paint and brushes, colors exploding across the page as she translated onto paper the images that flashed through her mind. It wasn’t until she heard the sound of the front door opening that Ruby finally looked up, only then realizing that the sun was no longer shining, that its rays had been replaced by a dimmer light radiating from a crescent moon. 

“You haven’t been out here all night, have you?” her father’s voice echoed from the foyer, Zwei’s ears perking up at the sound. The dog took off at a sprint, letting out a happy bark as the man’s footsteps came closer. 

Ruby turned around in her stool and smiled up at her dad. “Kinda, yeah. I didn’t actually realize how late it was…”

Taiyang reached down to pick up the antsy corgi, and carried him the rest of the way into the living room. “I take it you haven’t taken him out yet?”

Her eyes widened, and she cursed silently to herself as her gaze moved up to the dog. “Oh, Zwei! I totally forgot!”

“It’s okay,” her father assured her. “I’ll do it. But I’m making dinner in a few, so I think it’s time you packed up.”

Ruby gave him a grateful nod. “Thanks, Dad.” She carefully placed the caps back onto her paints, and carried the brushes to the kitchen sink where she rinsed them thoroughly. After laying them out on the counter to dry, she returned to her easel and continued to pack away her things, not once looking at the final product of her labor until she was finally back in her room. She set up her easel in the corner of the room and set the sketchbook in the center, stepping back with a pensive hum as she studied the finished piece. 

The painting was set on the shore of the beach, the sun setting in the sky with hues of pinks, reds, and purples as the tide faded away, leaving small pools of crystalline water along the shore. Sitting in the sand with feet ankle-deep into the ocean was a familiar figure of warm, medium-brown skin and flowing, green hair, her arms wrapped around her knees as she looked out across the water. Her back was turned, her face hidden, but her pose was vulnerable, curious to the unknowing eye, a girl Ruby was so far from understanding, scared, even, to reach out, but wanting,  _ hoping _ to find someone of worth. 

She still didn’t trust her. She still didn’t have a good feeling about her. But Weiss did, and Weiss was happy, and Weiss’s happiness was more important than whatever ill feelings Ruby was harboring toward this girl she barely even knew. Maybe it was because Emerald had the same eyes of the woman who had hurt Yang more than words could ever express. But then again, so did their Uncle Qrow, a man of mystery, of pain, and questionable habits, but a good man nonetheless. Maybe the simple truth was just that Ruby was jealous of Emerald. Jealous of Yang, jealous of Blake, even, for taking her best friend away. She missed Weiss, she missed spending time with her, and Ruby wanted, more than anything, just to be able to hang out and poke fun at each other and go back to the way things used to be. She wanted Yang to be happy, of course, but there had to be a way for Yang’s happiness, and Ruby’s happiness, to coexist, right? 

It wasn’t fair. Ruby wasn’t being fair. She was being selfish, and she knew it. She didn’t  _ have _ to be Emerald’s friend in order to make Weiss happy. She didn’t even have to like her. But Emerald was new to Vale, and there was a time that Weiss was new, too. There was a time that Weiss didn’t know anyone at all, and Ruby knew all about the struggles her friend faced when she first arrived, only made harder by the accident the year before. Ruby wasn’t a mean person; it wasn’t the way she was raised, wasn’t the way she wanted to be. She owed it to Emerald to at least give her a chance. To at least give her the time of day. After all, if Blake could give Weiss a chance, then Ruby supposed she could follow Blake’s example, too. 

She let out a slow, calming breath, and turned away from her easel. She walked over to her bed and picked up her Scroll from the pile of books and utensils she’d left lying on her mattress. She smiled when she found a new message from Sun, asking her about her day. She quickly responded before opening up her camera application, and pointing it back at her easel. She snapped several pictures from different angles and distances before scrolling through and picking the best, and attached it to a new message to Weiss. 

_ Do u think she’ll like it? _ she typed before sending it, and sitting back down on her bed. She set her Scroll aside while she carefully cleaned up the rest of her mess, putting her utensils and books back into her bag, and leaning back on her bed. She glanced back at the easel, and smiled at the portrait. 

_ I really do hope you’re worth it. _


	20. Vow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blake, Weiss, and Yang finally come to an understanding of each other.

The journey from the Rose-Xiao Long house to Beacon Comics proved to be silent, much to Blake’s dismay. Frequent glances in the mirror confirmed that Weiss, for all of Blake’s efforts, was still fidgeting, still nervous, and still clearly intimidated. Blake didn’t know for sure exactly what had Weiss in such a state, but hazarding a guess, she figured it was a combination of every single factor at large. The breakdown with Yang taking forefront, still fresh in the minds of both girls, compounded by Blake’s sudden attention, and not knowing if it was all just an act… Blake had to admit, she’d be a quivering mess, too. Yang certainly was.

The image of just the hour prior stuck in Blake’s mind, the uncontrolled spasm in Yang’s limbs, the way she could barely write, let alone stand. It had been a long time, dating all the way back to school, since Blake had seen her best friend in such a state, and never had it been out of fear. But there she was, at Beacon, curled into herself, taking deep breaths and counting, desperately trying to stave away the anxiety and paranoia that she had messed up, and hoping that Weiss would stay.

Blake wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or concerned that Weiss’s own body language mimicked that of Yang’s, and couldn’t help but wonder if it was for the same reasons. For Yang, it was clear to Blake that this went deeper, far deeper, than a writer and her artist. In the few short weeks since they had met Weiss, Yang’s life had completely turned around. Her relationship with Ruby had been salvaged, she and Blake were on better terms than ever before, she was once more inspired to write dozens upon dozens of ideas for  _ Lost & Found _ , and she even had an artist to bring those ideas to life. And as much as Blake didn’t want to admit it, Yang clearly had Weiss to thank for that; the two developing a bond in mere weeks that left them both reaching for the stars, and yet shaken to their cores over one misunderstanding.

_ Maybe Yang’s not the only one who fell for her coworker… _ Blake considered, looking in the mirror once more to see Weiss grasping at her skirt, and shifting in her seat, eyes down, and jaw clearly taut.  _ I mean, she did call Yang her idol once, and by the sounds of it Yang had become a confidant far exceeding any colleague I’ve ever had… _

She bit her lip, the stabbing pain in her chest making her unsure if she wanted an answer. For years now it had been her and Yang against the world, armed with sass, determination, and the world’s greatest death stares. Junior and Neo had come and gone, as had a dozen artists, and yet here Blake and Yang stood. And it wasn’t just at work. In school, when Blake found herself victimised by Humans who thought her ears somehow made her inferior. At home, when Yang learned of Raven, and how her father had hidden her away for over a decade. And even now, with Blake terrified of Weiss, of her family, and of what revealing her true identity could mean for their dynamic, and with Yang a royal mess, barely holding herself together, let alone  _ Lost & Found _ . 

Blake and Yang had faced the world, and survived more times than either could count. To suddenly admit that  _ they _ , not just Yang, needed help, and to let a veritable stranger join that friendship, and be a part of that trust and intimacy, that terrified Blake more than anything she thought possible.

But it was precisely that fear, and the mirrored reactions of Weiss and Yang, that gave Blake hope. She prayed that their turmoil was a sign of just how raw their bonds were, and that maybe, just maybe, it was as real as the one between Yang and herself. If they did, then the duo would make it through anything, and maybe in time Blake and Weiss would come to the same understanding with each other, as they had with Yang.

“Here we are,” she called out, watching the seconds tick by before Weiss blinked and finally looked up, pulled out of her reverie as she glanced in the mirror, meeting Blake’s golden eyes for the first time since they had left the beach. Blake simply sat there, giving Weiss all the time she needed as the heiress glanced around, taking in their location, clearly caught off-guard by just how quickly they had arrived at the shadow cast by Beacon in the low sunset.

Hearing Weiss’s breath hitch and shake, barely squeezing out of her throat, Blake unbuckled her seatbelt and reached into the back, laying a gentle hand on Weiss’s knee. She offered the heiress a smile, the third she’d given the younger girl that afternoon, a new record. “Hey,” she said, her voice just as soft as her touch. “You’re going to be okay.”

“H-how can you be so sure?” Weiss stammered out, her eyes moving from Blake’s warm, amber eyes down to the pale hand that still scrunched up her dress.

“Weiss,” Blake’s voice immediately drew Weiss’s eyes once more. “Tell me, when you get inside,” she continued, twisting in her seat and reaching over to take both of Weiss’s hands in hers, “what do you want to say to Yang?”

Blake waited patiently, feeling Weiss’s hands slowly shaking in her own, but never coming to a complete stop. “I-I just want her to know that I-I appreciate everything she’s done for me over the past month. And that no matter what, I won’t stop reading  _ Lost & Found _ , or drawing fanart, or supporting her…” Blake could literally hear Weiss’s heart pounding in her chest as she spoke, the sound alone forcing uncontrollable twitches in her feline ears. “I’ll always be grateful for the time we had, and won’t at all blame her for what happened. I want her to know that I got to do and experience so much thanks to her, and, and, and…” Weiss began to tear up. “And I’m just so, so grateful for everything that’s happened so far…”  

As Weiss reached up to wipe her tears, Blake could only smile, the widest, warmest smile she had ever given the younger girl. “That’s how I know, Weiss,” she said, reaching out to grasp her hands once more. “I  _ promise _ you she’s not upset. Not with you. This story isn’t ending tonight unless  _ you _ want it to. And you clearly don’t.”

Weiss glanced back up, her brows knitting together in confusion. “If she’s not upset with me, then who—”

Blake finally untangled their hands, her expression slightly hardening. “She’ll explain everything once you get inside. Just… please be patient, okay? She’s not—she’s not used to letting other people in.”

Weiss sucked in her bottom lip, biting down nervously as she considered Blake’s words before giving her a short nod. “Okay,” she said, reaffirming the decision she had already made to hear Yang out.

“Then let’s go in.” Blake smiled once more before opening the car door and stepping out. Immediately, she turned to open the rear door and offered a hand to the still shaken girl, watching as she finally unbuckled, her fingers fumbling with the clasp for a moment before she found the release. It then took her several moments to haphazardly gather her messenger bag, and only then did Weiss seem to notice Blake’s offered hand. Blushing timidly, Weiss took it, and let Blake guide her gently out of the car, and into the building.

The floor was surprisingly busy for that hour on a weekday, most of the regular writers and artists usually having started to pack up by now, but there were still many people bustling about, poking their heads into fellow creators’ studios as they asked for critiques or advice. Even Blake could barely make out an individual conversation as the voices meshed loudly together. That said, she’d been there long enough that she could probably pull off a broadway musical parodying each writer’s and artist’s constant hang-ups. Ozpin probably would’ve paid Blake to do just that, too, if it meant getting Beacon more publicity. 

Finally arriving at Blondie’s office, the only one in the building still illuminated, yet closed tight, Blake took a moment to ease the door open with caution, peeking inside before giving Weiss a signal that it was okay to enter. She found Yang sitting with her back to her desk, droopy, lilac eyes trained on the door as they both walked inside, being met almost immediately with one of the saddest, most apologetic smiles she’d ever seen. 

“H-hey, Weiss,” she started meekly, her voice uncharacteristically tame as she stood from her desk and took a couple of steps in the younger girl’s direction. 

Weiss tried her best to return Yang’s smile, but it seemed weak, so much more pathetic than the ones Blake had seen her share with Yang in the past few weeks. “Hey.”

Blake started to turn back toward the door, feeling her presence was now unnecessary, but Yang seemed to disagree as she immediately reached for her friend’s wrist, stopping the Faunus in her tracks. Blake closed her eyes and let out a quiet sigh, turning back to face Yang, only for her heart to sink when she saw just how panicked the taller girl was, her eyes wide and pleading silently for Blake to stay. 

“Please,” she begged, her voice thin, almost as though it were about to crack. “I need you to make sure I don’t fuck up again…”

Blake glanced from Yang to Weiss, who was still standing by the door, her clear, blue eyes shining with guilt as they remained locked onto Yang. When she realized Blake was watching her, she blinked suddenly, and gave the older girl a short nod. All the confirmation she needed, Blake gently untangled her wrist from Yang’s grasp, and walked over to the other side of the room, lowering herself to the loveseat. She watched Yang with a worried look, hoping her best friend would be able to mend her partnership with Weiss without her help. 

Yang swallowed, moving her gaze back to Weiss, and took a couple of steps in the heiress’s direction. “Weiss, I… I’m sorry. I was… I was really an ass yesterday, and my anger toward you was incredibly misplaced.”

The ivory-haired girl lifted a hand, offering Yang the tiniest of smiles as she finally took a step into the room. “It’s okay, Yang, you—”

“No,” the blonde continued, cutting her off. “It’s  _ not _ okay. It’s precisely my behavior yesterday that caused all of my other artists to quit.” She turned her head away, and even from where Blake was sitting, she could see that Yang was trying her hardest to hide the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes. “The last thing I want is for you to quit, Weiss…”

“You really think I want to quit?” Blake turned her attention back to Weiss, who was moving faster, now, a determined glint in her eyes as she quickly cleared the space between herself and Yang. “Yang, working with you on  _ Lost & Found _ is like my dream job! I wouldn’t leave you for any other opportunity in the world. One outburst isn’t going to scare me away, okay?”

Blake couldn’t help but smile at that. True to their conversation in the car, Weiss was adamant about staying, about her devotion to Yang and to  _ Lost & Found _ , and while Blake had absolutely no doubt that the girl would deliver, it still warmed her heart nonetheless. She let out a content sigh, sitting forward in her seat as she continued to watch the pair, anticipating the next move. 

Yang glanced back up, sniffling as a single tear escaped, and she reached up to wipe it away just quickly as it had fallen. “S-so, you really do want to stay?”

Weiss nodded. “If you’ll have me.”

“Of course I want you, Weiss,” Yang responded, a light blush spreading to her cheeks. “I don’t think anyone else would be right for the job.” She sucked in a deep breath, and looked Blake’s way, a hesitance in her bright eyes as she worked up the nerve to tell Weiss what she next needed to say. 

Blake smiled reassuringly.  _ You can do it, _ she channeled to her friend mentally, knowing that the worst part was already over. They were going to get through this. All three of them were going to be okay.

Yang turned back to Weiss. “Have you heard of  _ Altered Egos _ ?”

The smaller girl furrowed her eyebrows. “Of course… That—that’s the book Junior went to after he left  _ L&F _ , right?”

As if on instinct, Yang’s expression hardened at the mention of her former artist’s name, but she didn’t let it impair her thinking this time, only taking a moment to find her bearings before she pressed on. “I think Junior—or  _ someone _ —at Wick-ed Comics is trying to set me, and  _ Lost & Found _ , up to fail.”

Weiss frowned. “W-why would anyone want to see you fail?”

Yang clenched her hands into fists, her gaze falling again as Blake heard the blonde’s breath begin to hitch. “Before Junior left, the two of us had another assistant.  _ Neo _ . When  _ Lost & Found _ really started to pick up, so did all of the calls and promotions, and things began to get a little crazy around here for a while. So I hired Blake to take some of the load off of Neo’s shoulders. Thing is, she didn’t really like that… I guess she felt like she was being replaced…”

“S-so what does she have to do with Wick-ed?”

“She’s the one who found Junior the job,” Yang answered, her hands beginning to shake now. She looked back up at Weiss, her eyes narrowed in anger. “One day, almost a year ago, Blake and I came in to find them both gone. No notice, no words, nothing but a confirmation from Ozpin himself that Junior had moved on. I tried calling him for a while, even tried to visit him at Wick-ed, but he wouldn’t see me… I’m pretty sure Neo has been feeding him lies.”

Blake’s ears perked up beneath her bow, suddenly alert as Yang’s words echoed in her head. She stood up, her amber eyes squinting in confusion. “You never told me that part of the story…”

Yang sighed. “Yeah, I, uh… I didn’t want you to feel like you were the reason Junior left.”

She shook her head. “Of course I don’t think that…” She walked over to the duo, her expression stern as she met Yang’s gaze. “If Neo isn’t competent enough to face her own faults, then she’s not someone  _ any _ of us—” she glanced at Weiss, “—should waste our time worrying about.”

“I feel so stupid for letting her get to me,” Yang muttered shyly, averting her gaze from both girls. 

“Well, we’re not going to let that happen again.” Blake lifted a hand to her friend’s shoulder, drawing the taller girl’s gaze. “You’re doing a great job, okay?” She looked at Weiss again with a smile. “You  _ both _ are. You both should be so proud of yourselves. I know things got tough for a while, but you’re working your way back up, and  _ Lost & Found _ is now stronger than ever, right?”

Yang glanced up out of the corner of her eye, her lips cracking into a small smile. “Thanks, Blake…” She turned to Weiss and let out another deep breath. “I really am sorry, Weiss. From now on, I’ll let you guys know when something’s bothering me… If we’re going to make  _ Lost & Found _ successful—” she nodded at Blake again, taking the Faunus slightly off-guard, “—then all three of us are going to have to trust each other.” 

Blake’s stomach began to knot at Yang’s implications, knowing she was going to have to give up her secret. Yang was right; in order for the three of them to become the best team they could be, neither of them, including Blake, could hold back any longer. She had a feeling that today would be her last hiding who she truly was, but the thought still made her nervous, so much so that she was barely even able to register Weiss’s words as a wide grin spread across her face, and her left hand suddenly came flying out, palm-down, toward Blake and Yang. 

“Let’s make a vow!” the heiress exclaimed, looking from Yang to Blake in excitement. Yang smirked, but didn’t make a move, instead turning her gaze back toward Blake, making it clear that she wanted  _ Blake _ to be the first to comply. 

The darker-haired girl just let out a sigh.  _ It’s now or never, I guess, _ she thought to herself, looking to Weiss as she finally resigned herself to the truth. “First, there’s something you should know…” She reached up, using all of her strength to keep her hands steady as she found the edges of her bow, and gave the ribbon a gentle tug. As the material fell away, her feline ears immediately began to twitch, the cool air conditioning of Yang’s office causing the tiny patches of hair that lined them to stand on end. She glanced down at the now-untied ribbon, too afraid to meet Weiss’s gaze as she finally verbalized the secret she’d long since held back. “I’m a Faunus.”

“I know.”

Blake flinched, not expecting to hear those words from the heiress. She lifted her head slowly, not sure what she’d find, but her mouth hung open as she was met with a genuine, accepting smile, and warm, patient gaze. “Y-you did? B-but how?”

Weiss simply chuckled. “I  _ may _ have noticed your bow twitch once or twice,” she said in a sing-song voice. 

“Oh…” She frowned. “Why didn’t you ever bring it up?”

The smaller girl shrugged. “I figured you’d tell me when you were ready.”

Blake nodded.  _ Of course… of course I got so worked up over nothing… _ She swallowed down that bitter taste of guilt that had begun to well in her throat, telling herself she had nothing to feel guilty about, nothing to apologize for. Her secret was out, and she was okay.  _ Weiss _ was okay. She drew in a deep breath, holding it for a moment as she continued to hold Weiss’s gaze, letting the younger girl’s reassuring eyes find Blake relief. Finally, she let it go, along with all of the rest of the uncertainties and anxieties she’d been holding onto, and she even managed a smile as she offered Weiss her hand. “Okay,” she began with a huff. “Now that I’ve officially ruined the moment, let’s start this again.”

Weiss was quick to lay her hand atop Blake’s, her smile widening into a full grin. “You didn’t ruin anything.” 

They both turned to Yang, waiting for her to seal the deal. The blonde beamed at them both, her best friend, and her new friend, before finally piling her hand atop Weiss’s, and meeting the artist’s gaze with an unspoken affection. It took everything in Blake not to roll her eyes, not to blurt out the blatantly obvious — that both girls were crazy about each other. But it lifted her spirit, removed that invisible weight she’d been carrying for so long, filled her with the utmost happiness to know that there was now someone else in Yang’s life who could make her feel so appreciated, so truly good. 

And when both girls finally broke their seemingly everlasting gaze, Blake met Weiss’s with a fierce determination, and an unrelenting promise that she didn’t intend to break. From that moment on, Blake would do everything in her power to make Weiss feel welcomed, to be the best partner to her and Yang that she could possibly be. No matter what struggles the three of them would face, they were going to get through them  _ all _ together. 


	21. Family Night

The last week passed smoothly, flying by without any mishaps as Yang, Weiss, and Blake seemed to fall into a comfortable rhythm of their own. Now that the three of them were finally all on good terms, the atmosphere at work had been so much nicer, so much clearer, and just so much more enjoyable than ever before. Yang had caught Blake and Weiss conversing during their breaks, Blake actually seeming to take an interest in Weiss’s studies and home life without cringing at every mention of the Schnee name. And Blake had even opened up to Weiss just the tiniest bit about how she and Yang had become best friends early on in elementary school, and how they had since been inseparable. 

Life was finally starting to make sense again. Yang finally felt as though she was right where she belonged, like writing  _ Lost & Found _ had been her calling, that, for the first time in a long time, her stories, her characters, her  _ job _ had meaning. She wasn’t worried anymore about Weiss leaving her, and she wasn’t worried about losing her fans as a result of the change in direction. The reviews had finally started coming in on hers and Weiss’s first collaboration, and they were  _ great. _ Many well-known comic book critics in Vale had praised Yang’s choice to finally set Torrez free, to give him a second chance to repent for all of his past sins, and to finally set Yin on the path to finding answers leading to his mother’s disappearance. Weiss’s art style had been compared to Junior’s, of course, but many had noted her own stylistic differences, the deeper contrasts in colors, the thicker and smoother outlines, and they had congratulated Yang for finally finding an artist who made  _ Lost & Found _ feel like itself again. All was good, and Yang couldn’t be happier. And that happiness translated to her home life; especially her relationship with Ruby.

Indeed, for a long time, Ruby had been an afterthought in Yang’s life, her happiness, her schooling, her crush, taking a back seat to the mess that was Yang’s ailing career. After Junior had left, she had thrown herself into her work, trying her damnedest to write scripts so good that the audience would forgive a dip in artistic quality. But then it turned out that Yang herself was the one who could not forgive her. Not would she sacrifice her own integrity as a creator just so some big bucks illustrator would turn her comic book into the same comic as every other paint-by-numbers author in the city. There was a reason  _ Lost & Found _ was a success, and while it was true Yang would likely have gotten away with dropping the artistic direction entirely,  _ Lost & Found _ as she knew it would have ceased to be, and Yang had too much pride to let that happen.

From there, everything had spiralled out of control, and Yang had steadily lost touch with everything and everyone. Neptune was the first to go, followed by Sun, and then Ruby and Tai slipped out of her mind. And she and Blake had spoken more than once about how Blake could have ended up just like everyone else if she wasn’t Yang’s assistant… Blake would always remind her that that wasn’t the case, but not once did it ever stop Yang’s guilt from growing, which in turn only further pulled her away from her friends and family, afraid that she no longer had a place by their side.

It was for that very reason that Yang had promised to dedicate as much time as she could possibly scrape together, be it free or even at the expense of  _ Lost & Found _ , to repair those relationships, and find her place back beside the people she loved… Which essentially meant more zoo trips, some long gaming sessions, several movies she had completely missed during her stupor, and, of course, a girl’s night, with her beloved sister and guardian angel of a best friend.

With the progress of the latest issue of  _ Lost & Found _ now putting Yang and Weiss ahead of schedule, the writer now had the entire weekend to look forward to spending time with those closest to her. She, Ruby, and Blake were now laying in a circle on the living room floor of Blake’s apartment, the sounds of a cheesy action comedy movie playing quietly in the background as they chatted away the night. Ruby had told her sister and friend about her decision to finally give Emerald a chance, and how she’d painted a portrait of the girl as a peace offering — something Emerald had been surprisingly ecstatic to receive. Blake reminded her that it was okay to keep her guard up, and Ruby had promised her she wasn’t about to suddenly become Emerald’s best friend; according to Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Sun were all the best friends she needed. 

And of course,  _ that _ conversation led to the inevitable teasing. 

“I’m not sure Sun qualifies as being one of those people,” Yang said with a smirk as she propped herself up on her elbows, grinning as Ruby’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

“What do you mean? He  _ is _ my best friend.” She turned to Blake, looking for some sort of explanation, but the Faunus just shook her head, refusing to get involved. Ruby frowned. “ _ What?! _ What does it mean?!”

Yang snickered to herself, lowering her arms and rolling over to her back. “It means you want Sun to be  _ more _ than a friend, and if you try to deny it I’m making you do my dishes for a week.”

Ruby groaned. “But that’s not fair!”

“Is that a confession?”

_ “No!” _ Her sister buried her face in her pillow, but it didn’t hide the fact that the brunette’s ears were quickly turning a bright shade of pink. “Sun and I are  _ just _ friends,” she mumbled into her pillowcase. “And  _ that _ is a fact.”

“It may be a fact, but it doesn’t mean you don’t want it to be something else,” Yang continued to press, and Blake let out another sigh. “What? It’s  _ so obvious _ !”

Blake just ignored her, instead turning to Ruby and resting a hand on the younger girl’s shoulder. “You know, you don’t have to take this.”

Ruby glanced up at her, her silver eyes wide and desperate. “How do you do it, Blakey?”

“Years of practice,” she just quipped, turning to Yang with a grin. “It also helps that I’m ace.”

“Yeah, well…” Ruby finally looked over at Yang again, her lips pursed into a pout. “Can we just  _ please _ talk about something else now?  _ Anything _ else? Like Weiss’s birthday is next week, and I think you should do something nice for her.”

Yang suddenly perked up at the mention of Weiss, rolling back over to her side so she was facing her sister. Although Ruby had told her at least a couple of times that Weiss’s birthday was coming up, Weiss herself had not made that fact public knowledge, and between work and relaxation, Yang never really thought to push the issue. Though now that Ruby had mentioned it, Yang was steadily coming to wish she had. She wondered if it was appropriate to get the heiress a gift, or if it would be weird — after all, she’d only known the girl for a few weeks, and it wasn’t often than any of Yang’s other coworkers got her gifts on her own birthday. If she got her a gift, would Weiss take it the wrong way?

“I think I distinctly remember you telling me Weiss doesn’t want anything,” Blake said to Ruby after Yang failed to respond. 

Ruby cleared her throat, drawing both girls’ attention to her as she pushed herself up into a sitting position, her head leaning back against the sofa. “She may not want a present from  _ me _ , but I have it on good authority that she probably wouldn’t mind a gift from Yang.”

Now it was Yang’s turn to fall back into her pillow, heat rising to her cheeks as she narrowed her eyes at her sister. “And what’s  _ that _ supposed to mean?”

“It means Weiss likes you,” Blake answered for her, not even a hint of teasing in her voice as she spoke matter-of-factly. “And you clearly like her. Maybe you should… you know… do something nice.”

Yang bit her lip, slowly moving her gaze from her sister to her best friend, taking a moment to process Blake’s words.  _ Weiss likes me?  _ How could either Ruby or Blake be so certain when there were so many other factors to her relationship with Weiss than just… apparently not-so-hidden feelings? Weiss idolized Yang — or, rather, she idolized  _ Blondie _ , so it was natural that she would gravitate a little more toward Yang. And she was also Ruby’s best friend; of  _ course _ she was going to treat Yang and those closest to Ruby with respect. Yang  _ did _ like Weiss, but on what basis was there for the heiress to like her back? At what point did the admiration for her favorite author turn into adoration for Yang herself? Could she really trust  _ Ruby’s _ judgment at the end of the day? After all, Ruby was so clearly in love with Sun herself, and had been for years, but the brunette would much rather go to her grave with her secret than ever let her heart see the Sun — okay, she chuckled at that. 

Even  _ if _ it were true, what was Yang supposed to do with the information, anyway? She actually didn’t know much about Weiss, now that she thought about it. What did the heiress even like besides  _ Lost & Found _ ? She knew Weiss’s father wasn’t very accepting of her comic book hobby, and there were probably some things Weiss wished she had that her father just wouldn’t let slide, but  _ what _ those things were remained a mystery, and Yang kind of felt a little stupid for not already knowing what they were.  _ How do I even ask her without her getting suspicious, anyway? If she doesn’t want anything, there’s no way she’ll tell me… _

She glanced up at Ruby, hoping her sister would have some sort of solution. “What  _ are _ you getting for her birthday?”

“Making her a card!” she replied enthusiastically, only for her expression to sour a moment later. “But only because she won’t let me get anything else…”

Yang sighed. “That’s super helpful…”

Her sister perked up again, rocking forward onto her knees. “Oooh! So you  _ do _ want to do something special for her!” She grinned. “Does this mean you like her, too?”

“That’s between me and Weiss,” Yang said with a wink, not willing to give Ruby the satisfaction when Ruby herself  _ still _ wouldn’t entrust her big sister with her crush on Sun. 

“You could ask her out on a date,” Blake suggested.

When Yang turned to her this time, she found a small hint of a smile on the Faunus’s face, her ears, exposed in the safety of her own apartment, curling affectionately before straightening back into their natural shape. “Okay, who are you, and what have you done with my best friend? Since when do  _ you _ make suggestions like  _ that _ ?”

Blake chuckled. “Since this time it actually seems to be in the best interest of both you  _ and _ Weiss.” She glanced at Ruby. “Besides, maybe if  _ you _ finally take the first step, Ruby will find the courage to do the same.”

“ _ Hey! _ ” Ruby grumbled, picking up her pillow and throwing it at Blake. “ _ I thought we agreed you wouldn’t tell her! _ ”

Yang snorted. “Please, Sis, it was no secret.” She plopped down against her pillow, turning her gaze up toward the high ceiling, her eyes gravitating to a small crack Ruby had made while losing control of a toy drone she’d brought over shortly after Blake first moved into the apartment. “I don’t know, though… What if I ask, and she expects something  _ more _ ? If something happens between us—”

“Yang.”

She sucked in a deep breath, fighting the urge to turn back to Blake. She already knew what she’d see, what she’d hear. What Yang needed right then was a reason not to take the leap; there was  _ so much _ that could go wrong if she decided to pursue Weiss, the first and most obvious being that Yang would somehow mess it up, and Weiss wouldn’t feel comfortable coming into Beacon anymore. Blake had been the one to warn Yang about pursuing her in the first place, telling her to keep her emotions in check for the sake of  _ Lost & Found _ , and for the sake of Ruby. So why was her friend about to lecture her now, encourage her to go after Weiss after she had already made it clear not long ago that working relationships were only meant to end in disaster?

“I know what you’re thinking,” Blake continued, her voice calm and sympathetic. “But forget what I told you. Weiss has  _ already _ seen the flawed sides of you, Yang, and she  _ still _ likes you. She  _ still _ admires you. And she’s accepted not just you, but she’s accepted  _ me _ , and I don’t think she’s going to just up and leave if you both find that you don’t work out.” Blake made a shifting sound, and Yang felt her friend’s presence move just a little bit closer, enough to provide Yang with a source of comfort if she needed it, but still distant enough to give the blonde her own space to think. 

“I know… I know it’s a risk,” the girl started again, her words seeming to echo Yang’s thoughts. That was one thing she’d always loved about Blake; no matter what Yang was feeling, her friend always seemed to know, always seemed to find a way to bring out the words Yang was too afraid to say. “I know it’s scary, not knowing how she’ll respond, not knowing what’ll come out of it. But you’ve been through so much scarier before, Yang, and I believe you can get through  _ this _ . I believe it’s at least worth taking a day to yourselves and trying to figure it out together.”

“She’s right,” Ruby agreed. “Weiss isn’t going to leave you. I  _ think _ I know her pretty well by now. And I  _ think _ she’ll be more than happy just to spend time alone with you outside of work. You don’t even  _ have _ to make it a date. Just ask her to hang out, take it from there.”

Yang finally raised her head, looking to her sister. “Oh, you mean like how you and Sun have just been ‘hanging out’ for years?”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “We’re not talking about me and Sun right now. Yeah, I know I’ve got to stop being a chicken, but this is about  _ you _ right now, and about my friend’s birthday, and I think it’d be fun. You want it to be the best birthday ever, or not?”

She huffed. “You sure are putting a lot of pressure on me right now, guys.” 

“Well, at least think about it.” Ruby stood up, picking her pillow up with her, and gave Yang a helpless shrug. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. But let me know whatever you do decide. I’m going to call it a night.”

Yang nodded. “Thanks, Rubes. Sleep tight.”

“You, too. Good night, Blake.”

“Good night.” Ruby disappeared down the hall and into Blake’s spare bedroom, the door closing with a tight click. Once they were finally alone, Blake turned back to Yang, and gave her a small smile. “Regardless of what you decide, I hope you do realize how much you’ve done for her.”

The writer hummed. “Maybe. But she’s done so much more for me. I don’t think she’ll ever truly realize it.”

Blake picked up her pillow, finally moving to the sofa, and stretching out across it as she kept her gaze on Yang. “You know, you were right. Weiss is… she’s a good person. I know I’ve been hard on her, but I think it’s showed me just how determined she is to prove herself to you. She  _ really _ cares, not just about Ruby, and not just about you, but about most of the people she meets. I… I think we’re more similar than I gave her credit for.”

Yang raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah?”

“In some ways,” her friend elaborated. “In most, maybe not so much, but I can understand where that determination comes from. That need to prove herself… She’s trying to make her own name for herself, become the type of artist  _ she _ wants to be, even if that means having to hide behind a pseudonym to make that happen. In a way, it’s like how I’ve been hiding behind my bow. I don’t want to be seen as a successful  _ Faunus _ , I want to be seen as a successful  _ person _ , and I think… I think Weiss gets that. Maybe not to the same extent, but it’s something.”

“Wow. I didn’t even think of it like that before.” Yang glanced down at the sleeping bag beneath her, finding the zipper and twiddling it between her index finger and thumb. “She’s amazing, isn’t she?”

Blake grunted. “I think I’ll try to get to know her a little more before using  _ that _ descriptor, but she  _ is _ something… Clearly something special to you.”

The blonde felt herself smile, a warm blush creeping across her cheeks as she pictured the heiress in her mind. She was small, but strong, and could be timid, but so full of life when she finally let loose. She was an exceptionally talented artist, and in all her years working at Beacon, Yang hadn’t seen someone pick up and truly understand so many different styles so  _ perfectly _ in her life. And she  _ truly _ understood Yin and Torrez in a way that even Junior hadn’t completely grasped when he was still working with Yang. Somehow, Weiss had seen through Yin’s tough exterior, and found all of the locked-up emotions inside, emotions that Yang herself had been holding back her whole life… Secrets she had yet to share with Weiss, but somehow, she knew that she eventually  _ would _ share them, and that Weiss would be there to accept them, to accept  _ Yang _ , in all of her secrets, all of her insecurities, and still come to admire her in the same ways she always had. 

She  _ wanted _ to take that leap with Weiss. As much as it scared her to admit it, and to actually do it, she really did. Yang hadn’t felt that way about  _ anyone _ in such a long time. Something about Weiss, or  _ everything _ about Weiss, just made the writer grin every time the girl’s name came up, every time her face would appear in her mind. Weiss  _ was _ special. And Yang wanted more than to just be her partner; to just be her friend. 

“...Where do I even start?”

Blake rested her head against the arm of the sofa, her eyelids beginning to droop over her amber eyes. “Telling her the truth is a good start.”

Yang released a deep breath. “If I’m going to ask her out, I’m going to need your help.”

“You’re asking  _ me _ ?”

She turned to her friend with a smile. “You’re my best friend, Blake. I know romance and dating aren’t exactly your thing, but you’re one of the most thoughtful and observant people I know.”

Her friend opened one eye, raising an eyebrow. “Well, if you’re going to get mushy about it, I suppose I can’t turn you down.”

“Thanks, Blake.” Yang pushed herself up, and crawled the few feet over to the sofa, stopping in front of Blake. She reached up and brought a hand to her friend’s velvety, feline ears, giving them an affectionate stroke. “You and me tomorrow, then. We’re going to make this date happen.”

Blake grinned. “Good night, Yang.”

“Good night, Blakey.” She pecked Blake’s forehead before moving back to her sleeping bag, and finally shimmying inside. She waited until her friend dimmed the lamp on the table beside her before resting her head, and closing her eyes. “I love you.”

“Love you, too.”


	22. Birthday Bash

Weiss awoke the morning of her birthday with a smile on her face, excitement coursing through every nerve and vein in her body as she sprang out of bed and hurriedly readied herself for school. She couldn’t ever recall a time she was _this_ excited for her birthday, but this year was different; this year, she had the job of her dreams, the best friends she could ever hope for, and not a day went by that she didn’t have a certain talented, tall, blonde writer on her mind. She didn’t expect to receive anything from her friends for her birthday, but that didn’t matter. Just being able to see Yang after school was all Weiss wanted and hoped for.

To say that she had fallen for Yang was now quite the understatement; Weiss was hopelessly, clumsily, utterly head-over-heels for the older woman. After Yang and Blake had finally talked out their issues at Beacon, things between the three of them had been so much better than Weiss could have ever imagined. She had spent a lot of time with Blake in recent days, getting to know her now-shared assistant better and learning that the two of them actually had a lot of common interests. But the subject she enjoyed talking with Blake about the most was Yang. Now that they were on good terms, Blake had shamelessly shared with Weiss some of her best friend’s most embarrassing moments, bad habits, and heartwarming stories from their childhood. And the more Weiss got to hear and learn about Yang, the more Weiss realized just how much she truly admired not just Blondie, the writer, but Yang, the quirky, passionate, and determined woman who was nothing short of amazing.

She wanted to tell Yang how she felt. She’d been working up the nerve for several days, now, but every time she tried to find the opportunity to get Yang alone, someone, or something, would always interfere. But today, Weiss was going to make it her mission to tell her the truth. She wanted Yang to know, even if the writer didn’t return her feelings, just how much Weiss truly cared for her. Just how dedicated she was to stay by her side no matter the circumstances, to continue to work with her as long as _Lost & Found _ was still in print, and then even after that if Yang decided to take on a new project. She wanted to be a part of Yang’s future, no matter what, whether it be as work partners, friends, or maybe even something more.

By the time she had finally finished getting ready for school and had wandered downstairs to greet her parents, breakfast was already on the table, and her parents, predictably, were already busy typing or chatting away on their Scrolls. From what Weiss could tell, Winter had already left for work, but much to the younger Schnee’s joy, she found an envelope with her name written on it at the place setting where her older sister usually sat. She reached for it immediately upon first notice, and tore it open, finding a cheesy, store-bought birthday card with a generic cartoon dog wearing a party hat on the front.

 _“Weissy—”_ the inside read in Winter’s neat cursive, the preprinted text having been whited out, _“Ignore the stupid dog, this was the only non-romantic birthday card I could find, and you know how horrible my crafting skills are.”_

Weiss grunted to herself as she continued to read, rolling her eyes at her sister’s attempt of humor. _“Anyway, I know you said not to get you anything, but since when have I ever listened to you? I’ve got a surprise for you, but you’ll have to wait until I get home to find out what it is. Since I won’t be here when you wake up, I wanted to wish you the best of birthdays and officially welcome you into the World of Adulthood! You’re growing up, way too fast, but I couldn’t be prouder of the amazing woman that you’re becoming. Have a great day, and I’ll see you soon! —Winter.”_

She was grinning by the time she finished reading the card, her eyes wide and glistening as she stuffed the thick paper back into its envelope, wondering what kind of surprise her sister could possibly have in store for her. She tucked it securely into her school bag that rested against the foot of her chair, and started to dig into her breakfast, wishing this morning would pass her by sooner.

“Weiss?” her father’s voice called when she was about halfway through her breakfast, the softness to his tone taking her off-guard and causing her to fumble her fork. She managed to retain her grip at the last second, catching it before it could fall and crash to her plate. She cleared her throat as she set it down gently, and met her father’s patient gaze.

“Yes, Dad?”

He gave her a small smile. “I’ve been thinking, since it _is_ your eighteenth birthday, it may be nice for you to invite a few friends over this coming weekend for a small gathering.”

She blinked up at him, her ears unbelieving of his words. Was he giving her permission to have a _party_? Weiss hadn’t had a birthday party since she was ten, and after most of her “friends” failed to respond or show up, she had spent the night holed up in her bedroom while her parents loudly complained downstairs how much of a “waste of time and money” it had been. Weiss hadn’t wanted to have a party ever since, and her parents never even bothered to ask, probably just as worried as the heiress about the outcome. But now…?

“I know you’ve been spending a lot of time with your friends recently,” he continued after Weiss took too long to respond, “and I thought it would be a nice opportunity to get to meet them.”

Weiss bit her lip, her mind beginning to race again as she tried to picture the event, Ruby being her usual awkward self as she tried to impress her father while Pyrrha remained as polite and conversational as ever. As for Yang and Blake… would the two older girls even be interested in coming over? Blake was still a little skeptical of Weiss’s family, especially Winter, whom Blake admitted she was a little distrustful of after hearing about the older Schnee’s accident just a year prior. And Yang… What would Weiss even introduce her as? There was no way she’d be able to tell her father that Yang was Blondie, especially not when Weiss was hoping to finally tell the writer how she felt. If her father found out she was romantically interested in her boss, it would mean the end of her days at Beacon, for sure…

“That sounds great, Dad,” she told her father after a few short moments had passed. “But I’ll have to talk to my friends first and see if they will be available.” She needed to talk to Ruby first and foremost about her father’s offer. There was no doubt the brunette would be able to help her come up with a plan.

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with her answer. “Alright. Please do let me know by tomorrow night so I can start making preparations.”

“I will.”

“Happy birthday, Weiss.”

She gave him a warm smile. “Thank you, Dad.”

* * *

 

After she had finished breakfast and packing her things, Weiss wished her parents a good day at work and jumped into the backseat of her assigned driver’s car. Most days, when Winter wasn’t around to take her to school, Weiss would sit up front and converse with the driver on duty, but today, she just wanted to relax and watch the scenery go by as she thought about the day ahead. A happy sort of anxiety fluttered in her chest like the wings of a dozen butterflies as she thought about her friends, and about just how much her life had changed in the span of a month.

Everything had happened so fast, but she felt like she’d known Yang and Blake now for what felt like a lifetime. Every day that passed, Weiss couldn’t help but look forward to the next, waiting, wishing, hoping to have just as wonderful a day as the last. Usually, she couldn’t care less about her birthday, as it was just any other day of the year for her up until now. Now, she had friends to celebrate with. Now, she was finally old enough to be considered an adult, to be considered an independent. She could make more of her own decisions, and her father’s clients would finally start taking her a little more seriously at the mandatory business meetings she was forced to attend every two weeks. She’d finally have a voice, finally have a little more freedom, finally say that for the first time in as long as she could remember, she was _truly_ happy, excited for what the world would throw at her next!

She still wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to say to Yang when she saw her that afternoon. She knew it was risky, telling her partner how she felt, but it was a risk she was willing to take if it would just make the writer’s day the slightest bit brighter. She thought maybe she’d write her feelings down, process them on paper, but she had never been very good with words, not in the way Yang was when she was writing her scripts, describing beautiful and haunting sceneries as Yin walked by himself around Blaze City at night, internally monologuing about the turmoil and loneliness he’d been fighting since the day his mother had left. Every single word that touched the page was raw, palpable, as if Yang had felt them all herself, as if she and Yin were walking the same path. It was one of the many qualities she loved so much about the writer, how every single word Yang ever wrote seemed to evoke a deep and personal emotion that touched Weiss’s heart, made something inside of her yearn to know more, to _feel_ more than anything she’d ever felt before. Yang was such a beautiful mystery in every way, shape, and form, and Weiss wanted to get to know every part of her. She only hoped Yang wanted to get to know Weiss in the same way.

The car ride was short, shorter than Weiss could ever remember, as her thoughts of Yang and her friends seemed to make time around her just fly effortlessly by. She was still lost in her thoughts as the driver pulled up to Brushwell’s curb, and she barely heard his voice when he leaned his head into the backseat to tell her that they had arrived. Weiss blinked once, twice, before she realized where she was, and she thanked her driver before collecting her school bag, and stepping out onto the busy sidewalk. She hurried inside, eager to start her day and get her morning classes over with so she could see her friends, and seek out Ruby for advice. Fortunately, and much to her surprise, she didn’t have to wait very long, because by the time she finally reached her locker, she found the younger brunette already waiting, a huge grin on her face as she spotted Weiss and started in her direction.

 _“Weiss!”_ she shouted excitedly as she cleared the distance in almost no time at all, leaping at the heiress with her arms outstretched.

Her eyes widened, her nose crinkling as she was thrown slightly off-balance, Ruby’s sudden embrace taking her by surprise. She let out an awkward laugh as she hugged her friend back, glancing over Ruby’s shoulder at a group of students who seemed to snicker in their direction. Weiss furrowed her eyebrows at the unusual response, and she pulled away from her friend, giving her a small smile. “Ruby, people are watching,” she muttered, taking her by the wrist and pulling her toward her locker.

Ruby shrugged, not paying any mind to the other students. “So? It’s my best friend’s birthday, and I wanted to give her a hug!”

Weiss nodded, this time giving her a more genuine smile as she stepped around Ruby and opened her locker. “Well, thank you. That was really kind of you.”

“But wait, there’s more!” Ruby said in a sing-song voice, holding out an index finger as if she were an actor in an As Seen on TV advertisement. She leaned against the locker beside Weiss’s, reaching into her own backpack as she dug around, and pulled out what appeared to be a homemade birthday card. She offered it to Weiss with a hopeful grin.

“Aww, Ruby, you really didn’t have to,” Weiss said, taking the card just as soon as she finished putting away her books. She examined the front, almost immediately letting out a chuckle at the image of a smartly-dressed snowman holding a blue-and-white gift box that had been hand-painted in watercolor. Not wasting any time, Weiss opened up the card, scrunching her brow at the dreadful penmanship inside. It took her a moment to decipher the note inside, but as soon as she did, her eyes lit up and her heart warmed with an overwhelming sense of gratitude that she just couldn’t find the words to express.

 _Weiss,_ the letter started, the “i” dotted with a cute little snowflake in Ruby’s handwriting, _I can’t believe how quickly these past two years have passed! Sometimes I’m still amazed at just how lucky I am to be considered your friend. You’ve taught me so much about art, and whether you realize it or not, getting to know you has helped me through some of the tougher times in my life, as well. I know we’re really different, but I think that’s one of the coolest things about us. You’re probably one of the nicest, gentlest, and also dorkiest rich girls I know, and, well, probably one of the only rich girls I know, but you never treat me like I’m anything less than the best. So thank you for being my friend, Weiss, and I hope you have the happiest birthday ever, because you deserve it!_

“Ruby…”

“Be honest, it’s really dumb!” her friend exclaimed through gritted teeth, now hiding her face behind her backpack.

“No, it’s not dumb!” Weiss folded up the card and tucked it securely into her school bag alongside Winter’s, before reaching up to lower the backpack from Ruby’s face. She met the younger girl with the most reassuring of grins. “I love it. It’s beautiful.”

Ruby let out a sigh of relief. “Okay, good. I wasn’t sure if it was too much, or if you’d be mad because you told me not to give you anything, but I can’t just ignore my best friend, and I just felt like I really needed to—”

“Ruby,” Weiss laughed, cutting her off. “I like it, I really do. Thank you.” She closed her locker and hiked her messenger bag over her shoulder before turning back to her friend. “We’ve still got a few minutes left before the first bell, how about I walk you to your first class?”

“Sounds like a plan!”

* * *

The morning passed slowly and uneventfully, much to Weiss’s dismay. She spent most of her classes staring out the window at the gleeful sun that shone into the room, taunting her with the freedom she so wished she could just get up and reach. But she still had many long and laborious hours of school left, and as much as she just wanted the day to be over so she could go see her friends, she was just as nervous, as worried about what she was going to tell Yang when she finally saw her that afternoon.

She still had yet to tell Ruby about her crush on Yang, but if her previous crush on Pyrrha had been that obvious to the brunette, than the chances were, Ruby probably already knew. But what her friend probably _didn’t_ know was that Weiss was going to spill her guts that afternoon, and she couldn’t for the life of her figure out how she was going to do that without looking or sounding like a bumbling idiot. Ruby knew her sister best, after all, so if Weiss was going to go to anyone for help, it only made sense that that person be Ruby.

When the bell to her last morning class finally rang, thus freeing Weiss’s schedule for the next hour, she practically leapt out of her seat and ran across campus to the Dining Hall, hoping her younger friend had already beat her there. When all she found was Jaune, however, Weiss let out a small sigh, and slumped down into a seat at his table a few chairs down.

“Hey, Weiss!” he greeted her enthusiastically as soon as she’d taken her seat, already getting up to move down to her side of the table.

 _I moved down here specifically so you wouldn’t bother me,_ she thought telepathically, hoping her scowl would be more than enough of a hint for him to leave her alone.

He didn’t seem to grasp her annoyance, however, or rather, he simply ignored it as he set his tray down across from her and hefted his backpack onto the table. He opened the top and began to dig around, still smiling that goofy smile of his as he not once tore his gaze away from Weiss. “So I heard it’s your birthday, and I know you probably already have, like, everything in the world, but I still wanted to do something, because, you know, I consider you a friend.”

 _Oh geez_ . Weiss tried her best to smile as she watched him pull something out of his bag, a small box wrapped in— _is that the comic section of the newspaper?_ She drew in a deep breath as she took the box, gently tearing at the paper, having noticed one of her favorite comics and decided she’d save it to read for later. Not that she was going to tell Jaune that.

“I, uh, I wasn’t sure if this was too forward, and I’m not sure if the rumors are actually true or not, but I just wanted to say that I support you.”

Weiss suddenly stopped, alarms going off in her head at his choice of words. She glanced up at him with furrowed brows, waiting for him to elaborate, but he just gestured for her to open the gift. _Rumors? Support?_ She finally managed to get the newspaper off without a rip, and she set it aside as she hesitantly lifted the lid to the tiny, rectangular box. Inside, she found a silver chain resting gently on a pillowed surface, a little rainbow charm made of multi-colored gems hanging in the center.

And then it all suddenly made sense.

“I also wanted to say I’m sorry,” Jaune continued. “If I had known you were gay, I would’ve stopped pestering you a long time ago.”

 _No no no no no._ Weiss quickly replaced the lid and the set box down on the table, her icy eyes wide as she tried to process the meaning of all of this. _Rumors? About_ me _? Do they_ all _know?_

“Weiss? Are you okay?”

She tried to smile, but her lips wouldn’t move. Slowly, she finally lifted her gaze, finding concern in the blond’s royal blues as he reached out across the table for the box.

“If you don’t like it, I can take it back.”

“No!” she finally managed to say, slapping her hand over the box and pulling it toward her. “No, it’s okay! It’s… it’s very thoughtful of you. I just… I… I didn’t want anyone else to know…”

Jaune’s expression softened, and he pulled his hands back into his lap. “So you probably didn’t know about the rumors, then…”

Weiss shook her head. “Who started them? Do—do you know?”

He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could give her an answer, a familiar silver-eyed brunette appeared behind him, a quizzical smirk on her face as her attention was immediately drawn to the box in Weiss’s hands.

“Ha! Don’t tell me you proposed to her!” she joked, slapping Jaune in the shoulder and causing the older boy to flinch.

Neither of them responded, however, and Ruby finally seemed to notice the rising tension between them, because her smile fell, and she instantly moved around the table to comfort Weiss.

“What happened?”

Weiss glanced up at her, then back to Jaune. “Apparently,” she started, her voice thin and so unusually quiet, the weakness in her tone so evident it made her internally cringe. “The whole school now knows I’m… I’m gay…”

Ruby frowned. “What do you mean? Who else did you tell?”

“ _No one_.” She bit her lip, trying to think back to the day she told Ruby, trying to remember if there was anyone else around. But they were in the bathroom, and all of the students had already left for the day… hadn’t they?

“I didn’t tell anyone, I _swear_ ,” Ruby began, her eyes wide and frantic, a small hint of guilt hidden in them, too, as if it was still somehow her fault. “You told Yang, though, did she—”

“No,” Weiss snapped, not wanting to believe that the girl she had grown so close to in the past month would ever do such a thing. “She doesn’t even talk to anyone in our school, does she?”

Ruby nodded. “Yeah, you’re right.” She turned to Jaune, their last only reliable source. “Who told _you_?”

Jaune cleared his throat. “Right, uh… Well, Pyrrha and I were in the auditorium practicing some of our scenes together, and we overheard some students who were working on the sets talking about it. They didn’t say who started the rumor, just that they’d heard it going around, so I guess it’s pretty common knowledge at this point.”

“Well, that’s just great,” Weiss groaned, dropping her head into her hands. _It’s only a matter of time before the bullies—_

“Aww, isn’t this sweet?”

Weiss jumped at the sudden voice behind her, the familiar low, taunting tone causing her stomach to flip. She turned around in her seat, already regretting what she’d find. Cardin stood between her and Ruby, his lips twisted up into a sick grin as he glanced between the two girls, then down at the box in Weiss’s hand.

“Looks like a lesbian wedding is in our future,” he snarled, snatching the box out of her hand so fast she didn’t even have time to react. He opened it and pulled out the necklace, dangling it in Weiss’s face. “You know, you’re a pretty girl, Weiss.” He glanced at Ruby, who was practically shaking with anger, her eyes narrowed in such a fierce intensity Weiss didn’t even know the girl was capable of expressing. “If you had better taste in dykes,” he continued, turning back to Weiss and dropping the necklace into her lap, “I’d maybe watch.”

She froze, his words hitting her deep in the chest, her blood boiling, but her heart sinking into her stomach, anxiety and hurt far overpowering whatever anger she felt toward the boy. He hadn’t just insulted _her_ , something Weiss had been expecting ever since the day she saw him picking on Scarlet, but he’d hurt Ruby, too, insulted one of the most important people in her life, all because she was associated with Weiss. It was why she didn’t want to come out in the first place. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to deal with the whispering, with the taunts and insults, and she had been right. Right now, she was hopeless, frozen, afraid of what he might do to her if she even so much as tried to speak up.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Ruby seethed, moving to her feet. She pushed her chair aside abruptly, standing as tall as she could as she furiously met Cardin’s challenging glare.

He let out a haughty laugh. “And what are _you_ going to do?”

“Don’t you have an ego to go inflate, Cardin?” another voice spoke, this time coming from the other side of the table, directly behind a timid, unusually silent Jaune.

Cardin’s eyes widened, and he began to back away. Pyrrha waited until he was a good few yards away before stepping around the table, and moving to Weiss’s side. “Hey, are you okay?”

Before she could answer, the sight of a red blur passing by them drew her attention to Ruby, who was quickly advancing toward the door Cardin was about to exit. Weiss picked up her necklace and shoved it into her bag, pushing out her chair as she called out to Ruby. “Where are you going?!”

 _“To finish this!”_ she growled back, not even turning to look at Weiss as she forced open the door, and disappeared out into the sunlit courtyard.

Weiss started to stand, but Pyrrha lifted a hand to stop her, her expression concerned as she tried to get Weiss to sit back down.

“Let an adult take care of it,” her friend suggested. “He’s only going to target you again.”

“I _am_ an adult,” Weiss quipped, ducking out from Pyrrha’s grasp and stepping away from the table. “And I don’t care. I’m not going to just stand by again when all of this is my fault.”

Before anyone could stop her, Weiss turned, and she ran as fast as she could, her mind whirring as she tried to piece together everything that had just happened. As she burst through the doors and out onto campus, she began to search frantically for her friend, but Ruby was nowhere to be found. She stopped in the center of the courtyard to gather her thoughts, panting as her heart raced, her vision beginning to blur. This wasn’t how her afternoon was supposed to go…

After taking a moment to evaluate her surroundings, she decided to head toward the Fine Arts Building, the first place she was likely to find Ruby, and the last place she’d seen Cardin on the day he’d cornered Scarlet. She had just entered the building when she noticed Scarlet exiting a classroom nearby, and she immediately quickened her pace to catch up to him.

“Scarlet!” she called, hoping he’d stop for her, but he turned to her with a scowl and a dismissive hand-wave.

“Just because you’re gay, it doesn’t make us friends.” He walked past her to the exit, about to push through the doors when they opened up, and Cardin came storming through. Scarlet stopped in his tracks, his eyes already widening in fear, but the bully didn’t even seem to notice him as he continued past him in Weiss’s direction, his malicious glare more dangerous than ever.

“Look at the pretty princess,” he hissed, his voice guttural and threatening, his frame so much larger than Weiss ever remembered as he advanced toward her, his hands clenched and ready to start a fight.

Weiss was already shaking as she tried to back away, her breath wavering as she stared up into his greedy, malevolent eyes. She kept moving, her knees trembling as she began to shrink smaller and smaller under his gaze, gravity seeming to become heavier as she felt her feet begin to give way. But no matter how fast she moved, she wasn’t fast enough, and before she knew it, he was right in front of her, both arms reaching out, colliding with her collarbone as she stumbled backwards, her head and back bouncing roughly off of a cool, sharp metal locker.

“You’re not so tough without Pyrrha around, huh?” he snickered, pressing a palm into her shoulder and holding her in place. “What is it with you useless homosexuals always being so _easy_ to back into a corner? At least put up a damn fight!”

She couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. Her vision was beginning to blur again as she tried to look anywhere but at the monster before her, but his face was all she could see. She didn’t know what he was going to do to her. She didn’t know how long she would be forced to stand there, her body pressed up against a locker as her ears rang and her head buzzed from the impact. She squeezed her eyes shut, the only thing she _could_ do, and silently wished it all away. Maybe, just _maybe_ , if she tried hard enough, she could make him disappear. He would leave her alone, and she could go back to the Dining Hall, and eat lunch with her friends. She could get through the rest of her day without conflict and maybe salvage what little string of hope she had left to make the best of her birthday. She just wanted to see Yang. She didn’t know how, but somehow she _knew_ , that if Yang was here, everything would be better.

“Leave her alone.”

Weiss opened her eyes just as the pressure on her shoulder disappeared, and she found Cardin being pulled away, a new smaller, less threatening figure in his place, shielding her from the bully. Her eyes widened at the familiar red hair and band uniform, Scarlet being the _last_ person she expected to have her back. But he was there, as little as she could believe it, and for now, she was safe.

Cardin was returning, regaining his balance as he broke away from Scarlet’s grasp, and towered over the smaller boy. “And what are _you_ going to do about it, fag?”

Scarlet straightened his back, his head high, but Weiss could hear him swallow as his emerald eyes quivered in fear. “I’m. _Not. Running. Cardin._ ”

The older boy smirked, seeming to sense his fear. But at least Scarlet was doing _something_ , so much more than Weiss had ever done for him. She wanted to help. She wanted to run and hide. But mostly, she wanted to see how this was all going to turn out.

“You’re gonna wish you’d ran,” Cardin taunted, balling his hands into fists once more. And suddenly, around the corner of the hall, three more guys appeared, all wearing matching smirks. “You _stupid. Pansy. Queer._ ”

Weiss gulped. This was _not_ going to end well…


	23. All Cards Out

Ruby’s heart pounded in her chest, every muscle and nerve in her body tense as she tore through the Dining Hall’s front entrance and out into the courtyard. Her blood was boiling with a degree of rage she’d never felt until now, Cardin’s despicable words still ringing in her ears as she frantically searched the campus for any sign of the older boy. 

How could anyone be so pig-headed that the only satisfaction they found was in the embarrassment and misfortune of others? Weiss had spent so long keeping her secret to herself, a secret that made Ruby a little sad to discover that her friend even felt the need to hide, but it was Weiss’s to keep at the end of the day, and now that it was out to the entire school, bullies like Cardin made sure Weiss regretted every moment of it. And Ruby wasn’t about to let him get away with treating her friend like that.

Although Ruby had started her chase just seconds after the boy had left the Dining Hall, she could not for some reason find Cardin anywhere. The courtyard, surprisingly enough, was pretty empty for that time of day, and the only student she recognized was a mint-haired girl with red eyes hastily making her way toward the Fine Arts Building. 

“ _ Emerald _ ,” Ruby muttered under her breath as she quickly made a decision, and started in the other girl’s direction. She didn’t know how or why, but something told Ruby that Emerald was somehow behind all of this. And she had  _ just _ begun to trust the girl, too… 

She followed Emerald all the way into the Fine Arts Building, remaining a few yards behind her so as not to be noticed. When Emerald turned into the girl’s bathroom, Ruby stayed outside, hanging back at the door as she carefully listened to a small, distressed voice carrying out into the hall. It sounded concerned,  _ fragile _ even, very unlike the confident Emerald she had come to know. 

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she whispered over and over again, and Ruby caught a quick glimpse of the girl pacing past a mirror. “He lied to me… he wasn’t supposed to—” As she paced past the mirror once more, she looked up, and immediately froze as her anxious crimson eyes met Ruby’s in the reflection, widening, wavering, like she’d just been caught in the act of a heinous crime. “R-Ruby!”

Ruby’s eyes narrowed as she finally stepped forward, entering the bathroom and standing firmly before the shaken girl. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her hoodie as they clenched into fists, wanting so badly just to punch someone,  _ something _ , but reminding herself that she was better than that, that acting on her anger would only lead to more harm than good. “I should’ve known it was you.”

Emerald’s gaze dropped to the floor, her shoulders hunched as she stood in place. She drew in a deep breath, and when she looked back up, tears —  _ real _ tears — were brimming in her eyes. “I’m so sorry… I never meant for it to get this bad…” 

The artist shook her head, not wanting to believe what she was hearing, but also not in the least bit surprised to be hearing it. She’d suspected Emerald of acting suspicious all this time, and now she knew she’d been right. She just wished she would’ve been able to get through to Weiss before it was too late… “So was this your plan all along? To turn Weiss into the laughing stock of the school?”

“ _ No _ ,” Emerald responded emphatically, her eyes now pleading with Ruby to try to understand. “I didn’t want her to get hurt  _ at all _ ! I just wanted to be her friend…”

Ruby sniffed. “Well, you sure have a crappy way of showing it.”

The older girl nodded. “I know, I…” She bit her lip, and cautiously took a step forward, but Ruby remained where she was, not yet ready to let down her guard. “Look, it was my first day in that art class of yours. I was in the stall when I heard you and Weiss come in here. I never actually had any intention of repeating what she told you.”

“So then why did you?”

Emerald lowered her gaze again, Ruby could see the shame, the  _ guilt _ written all over her face. She really  _ was _ taking this hard, much more than someone with ill intent should. Emerald seemed… sincere… But none of this was adding up… “I met Cardin before I met you and Weiss. He was tutoring me in some of my classes since I transferred in the middle of the year and had a lot to catch up on… He could tell I was hiding something from him, and he kind of just wrestled it out of me… I didn’t know he’d make a big deal out of it…”

Ruby just crossed her arms. “Why should I believe you?”

“You shouldn’t,” Emerald answered sadly. “I know you’ve been suspicious of me since the day we met. I guess you have every reason to be. I’ve been spending all this time trying to befriend Weiss, trying to make up for what I told Cardin, but I should’ve minded my own business. Now she’ll probably think I’m two-faced, too…”

_ Probably not, _ Ruby thought to herself, knowing Weiss, much like Ruby herself, was still naive, still willing to see the best in anybody she met. And if Emerald was really being genuine, then Ruby knew Weiss would see it, would forgive her in a heartbeat. But there had already been so much damage done… 

“Ruby?”

She jumped at the unfamiliar voice, and turned her attention away from Emerald if only for a moment. She followed the voice back to the bathroom’s entrance, and found Jaune standing nervously in the doorway, his head turned out toward the hall. “I’m in the middle of an important conversation, Jaune, why aren’t you with Weiss?”

Jaune cleared his throat, and finally turned to look at her. “Well, that’s the thing! Weiss ran off after you, and then Pyrrha and I followed, but by the time we got here, Cardin had her cornered… She’s kind of in trouble right now…”

Ruby’s eyes widened, her heart beginning to race again as she tried to process her friend’s words, not wanting to picture the scenario he’d just described. “ _ Why didn’t you say something?! _ ”

“But I just did!”

She narrowed her eyes, turning her attention back to the older girl, who somehow looked even  _ more _ paralyzed than before, clearly having heard the boy’s words. “You care about Weiss?” Ruby asked skeptically, hurriedly. 

Emerald nodded. “Yes, I—” 

“Then prove it!” She didn’t stick around to see what Emerald would choose. Instead, she rushed out of the bathroom, following Jaune down the hall to the front of the Fine Arts Building, where her heart immediately dropped into her stomach at the chaotic scene. 

She found Cardin and three of his friends standing menacingly in a circle around Scarlet, the boy shaking in fear as he held his arms out wide, shielding a cornered Weiss from whatever Cardin chose to do next. Pyrrha stood between Cardin and his friends, tall, angry, and ready to squash anyone who tried to make a move. But the image that hurt Ruby the most, that caused her to stop in her tracks, was the sight of Weiss with her back against a locker, absolutely defeated as her bright eyes shone with tears and an endless pool of regret. 

It was Weiss’s birthday. It was supposed to be the best day of her life. But thanks to Cardin, to Emerald, it was clear to Ruby that this day was quickly descending into one of the worst. Her friend didn’t deserve this.  _ No one _ did.

“Get away from her!” Ruby shouted as she finally found the strength to move again, rushing forward as fast as she could, not sure what she could even do, but not willing to just stand and do nothing. 

Cardin turned his head in her direction, a twisted smirk stretching across his face at the sight of the angry brunette. “Oh, look,” he seethed, glaring back at Weiss, “your girlfriend finally decided to come join the fun.”

Ruby skidded to a stop just feet away from Cardin, squaring back her shoulders and making herself look taller the way her father had taught her to should she ever have a run-in with a bear. Cardin was close enough. She took a step toward him, but was immediately pulled back by a hand on her shoulder. She whipped around to find Pyrrha peering down at her sympathetically, a warning in her eyes as she shook her head. 

“They’re not going to risk anything,” her friend assured her. “Not with this many witnesses. Don’t give them a reason to change their minds.”

Cardin didn’t seem to like that. “You don’t know the first thing about me,” he snapped at Pyrrha, raising a clenched fist in her direction. The redhead merely rolled her eyes, lowering her hand from Ruby’s shoulder as she shoved the smaller girl gently aside. 

“Oh, don’t I?” she breathed coolly, crossing her arms over her chest. “I seem to remember you throwing quite the temper tantrum last year when your team lost the annual relay. If there’s one thing I know about you, it’s that you  _ hate _ to lose, and you and your friends know you’re out of your league, here.”

Ruby snickered, taking a moment while Pyrrha had Cardin distracted to glance behind her at Scarlet and Weiss, who both appeared shaken, and the slightest bit confused.  _ You okay? _ she mouthed toward them, receiving a smile and a nod from Scarlet, but Weiss had her gaze downcast, still too afraid to look anyone, even Ruby, in the eyes. The younger girl deflated a little at the sight of her best friend in such a condition, but she understood. She couldn’t possibly imagine what was going through Weiss’s mind right then. 

“You may be a threat,” Cardin continued, glancing from Pyrrha to Ruby, to the rest of their group of friends, “but the rest of you are just a bunch of cowering wimps. Me and my guys could take you down easily.”

“So why are  _ you _ the one standing there like a  _ cowering wimp _ ?” 

The voice hadn’t come from Pyrrha. It hadn’t come from Jaune. In fact, it hadn’t come from any of Ruby’s friends. They all turned, Cardin and his friends included, to the source of the voice, just as Emerald strutted toward them, her head high and her tears finally dried. She glanced sheepishly at Weiss, her confidence faltering if only for a second, before she focused her attention on Cardin again, and stood tall at Pyrrha’s side. 

Cardin blinked at the new addition, his confusion quickly contorting to fury as he clenched his fists even tighter. “How  _ dare _ you. After everything I’ve done for you?”

Ruby felt a hand grip her elbow, and she turned around to find Weiss clinging to her tightly, looking up at her in bewilderment. Ruby opened her mouth to explain, but she decided against it, knowing there were more pressing matters to address first. So she offered her friend a timid smile, and took a step backward to stand beside her, offering her shoulder for Weiss to lean on while Emerald, Pyrrha, and Cardin continued to face down. This standoff was quickly becoming quite the charade. 

“You only did what you were told to do,” Emerald continued. “And when I confided in you, you stabbed me in the back.” She glanced back at Weiss once more, her vibrant eyes round with regret. Ruby still didn’t like her. She still didn’t trust her. But she  _ knew _ , this time, that Emerald was speaking from her heart. That she was speaking as a true friend. “A lot of people were hurt because of you, Cardin. People who have been nothing but kind and patient with me.”

Cardin shook his head. “So? You really want to be friends with those little crybabies?” He finally turned away from them, and back toward his own friends. “Fine. You’re all just a waste of my time, anyway.”

“Wait, we’re really just letting them go?” one of his friends, a scrawny guy with a mohawk, asked. “After all of  _ this _ ?”

The jock dropped his hands to his sides. “The stupid redhead is right,” he muttered, his voice low, embarrassed. “Too many witnesses.”

_ That’s not what you really mean, _ Ruby thought, glancing up at Pyrrha with a victorious grin. Cardin was admitting defeat. 

“Aww, man, I missed almost a whole lunch period for this!” one of Cardin’s other friends groaned as the four of them started to walk away. They didn’t look back, even as they exited through the building’s doors, leaving Weiss, Scarlet, and all of their friends in peace. 

When they were finally gone, Ruby let out a breath she didn’t even realize she’d been holding. The grip around her arm loosened, and immediately, she turned her attention to Weiss, who collapsed into Ruby’s arms without a second thought. Her eyes widened in surprise, her shoulders tensing at the sound of the first sob. It had been a long day, for  _ all _ of them, but no one had suffered quite as much as Weiss. 

Ruby’s shoulders fell, her anger slowly leaving her as her arms gently locked around her friend’s back. She wasn’t sure what to say, but as she glanced up at all of the friends surrounding them, watching them in concern, she realized she didn’t have to. Her expression softened, her stomach unknotting as she nodded a silent thanks to them all, Emerald included. It was because of them—because of  _ all _ of them—that Weiss was safe.

Weiss only cried for a little more than a minute before her sobs faded, and she wiped her tears into Ruby’s sleeve. She pulled away with a sniffle and a broken smile, her expression clearly telling Ruby that she still wasn’t okay, but that she was trying. “I—I’m sorry,” she started, her voice thin and airy. 

Ruby furrowed her eyebrows. “Sorry for what? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

She shook her head. “It’s my fault you got wrapped up in all of this. If those stupid rumors hadn’t started—” 

“It’s not your fault,” Emerald cut in, finally speaking up after having stood anxiously, quietly, a few feet away from the rest of their group. She took a hesitant step forward, clutching one arm to her side in defense. “I started the rumor… Or, well, it wasn’t  _ supposed _ to become a rumor, but it’s my fault that it did…”

Weiss drew back from Emerald, clearly hurt by this new information. “B-but  _ why _ ? I thought we were friends…”

Emerald cast her gaze downward. “I know, I… I overheard you coming out to Ruby and I just didn’t know what do with the information… Cardin and I used to spend a lot of time together, I thought I could confide in him… Clearly, I made the wrong choice.”

Ruby bit her lip, closing her eyes in thought. Weiss had had enough bad news for the day. The last thing she needed was to lose a friend, especially today of all days. Emerald was… she was sincere, and that was what truly mattered, right? She sucked in a deep breath and opened her eyes, looking up at Weiss. “Weiss, she didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

Emerald took another step, her eyes pleading, now, her arms outstretched. “I’m  _ so _ sorry… I know it doesn’t make up for what I did, but I’m  _ really _ sorry, Weiss… I  _ never _ wanted to hurt you.”

Weiss looked to Ruby.  _ What am I supposed to do? _ her pale, shaky eyes seemed to ask, and Ruby just nodded back, hoping her friend would understand the message.  _ Give her a chance, Weiss. _

“Emerald, I…” she started slowly, cautiously lifting her gaze. “I don’t… I don’t blame you. I just wish you would’ve come to me… What I told Ruby, that’s  _ my _ business to share and nobody else’s, okay?”

The taller girl nodded, her bright bob moving with her. “I’m sor—” 

“Stop apologizing,” Weiss said, lifting a hand to cut her off. She finally let go of Ruby and took a step toward Emerald. “Let’s just start over, okay?”

Emerald blinked, her eyebrows raising into her bangs as she seemed to process Weiss’s words. “But what about the rumors?”

Weiss shrugged. “I was eventually going to have to come out sooner or later. I’d rather it have been on my own terms, but… But now I can make sure everything else from here on is my choice, right?”

“Oh… Yeah, I guess so.” Emerald raised a hand to the back of her head, scratching it nervously. “I can take care of Cardin if you want me to. I used to do martial arts back at my old school, so—” 

“No, that’s okay,” Weiss sighed. She offered the other girl a small smile. “But thank you. For having my back.” She glanced from Emerald to Scarlet. “You, too. And I’m sorry for not having yours, back when it was you in my position.”

Scarlet waved her off. “Old news. Cardin’s an asshole. He’ll get what’s coming to him one of these days.”

Ruby smiled, glad to see that the worst of it was finally over. Weiss was going to be okay, and Emerald had finally shown her true colors. Yes, it had been a messy day, but it looked like everything could finally start to go back to normal. Or, well, as normal as a regular school day at Brushwell could get. She stepped up to Weiss, and lifted a hand to her friend’s shoulder. “Well, now that we’re all good again, what do you say about finally getting something to eat? I kind of abandoned my lunch in the Dining Hall…”

Weiss let out a tiny chuckle. “Alright.” She glanced up at Emerald. “Would you like to join us? Fair warning, we’re a huge bunch of dorks.”

“I’d take a dork over a bully any day,” Emerald responded with a smile. And, finally, they all headed out together, enjoying the rest of their lunch period in content, no bullies even daring to interrupt the newer, larger group of friends. 

* * *

Later that afternoon, after their final class had ended, Ruby and Weiss parted ways with Emerald and headed out to the curb to meet Yang in their usual spot. As they walked, Ruby couldn’t help but notice her friend was all blush and smiles, her head seeming to be stuck in the clouds. Ruby could only guess what she was thinking about.

“You’re excited to see Yang, aren’t you?”

Weiss barely seemed to register Ruby’s words as she let out a hum of agreement, before her face completely reddened, and she met the brunette’s gaze with a look of horror. “W-what are you implying?”

Ruby smirked. “That you’re excited to see Yang?”

Her friend humphed. “It sure sounds like there’s a little more weight to your words than that.”

“Maybe,” Ruby quipped with a light jab to Weiss’s side. “But only if you  _ want _ them to mean more than that.”

She bit her lip. “Am… am I really that transparent?”

“Weiss, I knew you were in love with Pyrrha before I even knew you were gay,” Ruby teased with a grin. “And I’ve known you’ve had a thing for my sister ever since I introduced you to each other.” She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, glancing over her shoulder at the obnoxiously bright sports car parked a few yards away. “So tell me, what’s got you so excited about today?”

Weiss sighed. “I… I don’t want to ruin it by jinxing myself…”

“Aww, but I’m your best friend! Since when have you never told me anything?”

Her friend laughed. “Relax, Ruby, I’ll tell you  _ afterward _ , okay? I just don’t want to mess anything else up right now. It’s been quite the day.”

Ruby deflated. “Okay,  _ fine _ .” She started back toward the car again, grabbing Weiss by the wrist, pulling the artist with her. “Let’s just hurry up. I can’t stand looking at this school any longer.”

They hurried over to the parked car, and Ruby opted to let Weiss sit in the front today, much to Weiss’s initial protest. Finally, Yang managed to convince Weiss to sit up front  _ for her birthday _ , and when they’d all strapped into their seats, Yang pulled out of the lot, and toward the inner city. Ruby watched as Yang and Weiss silently fidgeted up front, rolling her eyes at how useless both her friend and sister could be as she waited for one of them to break the ice. After waiting a whole five minutes, Ruby decided to do it herself.

“So, we almost got into a fight at school today.”

Yang nearly smashed on the brakes at Ruby’s words, her eyes narrowing as she met her sister’s gaze through the mirror. “You  _ what _ ?”

Ruby turned her attention to Weiss, hoping her friend would elaborate. The older girl shifted uncomfortably, meeting Ruby’s gaze with an incredulous look. “Why would you bring that up?” she muttered, immediately catching Yang’s attention. 

Her sister looked to Weiss, now, seeming to sense the tension. “One of you better tell me what happened.”

Weiss frowned. “I… Nothing happened, okay? It was just a stupid standoff.” 

Yang raised an eyebrow. “It sure  _ sounds _ like it was ‘something’ if neither of you are willing to talk about it.”

Ruby waited, watching Weiss carefully, her pulse slowly starting to raise the longer it took her friend to speak. She really hoped she hadn’t just screwed up, but this was a big deal. She couldn’t just pretend that the confrontation with Cardin hadn’t happened. 

Finally, Weiss let out a shallow breath, and lowered her gaze to her lap. “The whole school now knows I’m gay. Some bully named Cardin started the rumor, and he started to tease me and Ruby just because we’re close.”

“Oh,” was all Yang could seem to bring herself to say at first. She stopped at a red light and glanced over at Weiss, concern in her lilac eyes as she chewed on her bottom lip, clearly still searching for the right words to say. “I’m sorry, that must’ve been difficult…”

Weiss swallowed audibly, causing Ruby to tense in the back seat. She didn’t realize bringing this up would affect her friend so negatively after they’d already dealt with the aftermath of it all. She’d thought Weiss was okay, but she should’ve known enough to give Weiss a little more time, a little more space to deal with this in her own way. But it was out, now, and Ruby couldn’t take it back. She just hoped her friend wasn’t too upset with her about it… 

“That wasn’t even the worst of it,” Weiss said after a moment. “Ruby went after Cardin, and I went after her, but by the time I’d started to chase after them, they were gone… I tried searching for Ruby, but Cardin came out of nowhere and cornered me.” She reached a hand up to her shoulder and rubbed it as if on cue, the first time Ruby had seen her show any indication of having been physically injured during the confrontation. “I don’t know what he would’ve done if everyone else hadn’t shown up…”

Yang looked positively furious, now. Even from the back, Ruby could see her sister’s grip tighten around the steering wheel, and her lips, now pursed together in a straight line, twitch as she tried to hold back her anger. She pulled forward again when the light turned green, not even looking at Weiss this time as she spoke. “Did he hurt you?”

Weiss was quick to shake her head. “No, I’m fine… I just… It was a little overwhelming, to say the least.” She glanced up into the mirror, finally meeting Ruby’s gaze, and to the younger girl’s relief, gave her a small, but grateful smile. “But I had Ruby there for me. His stupid comments didn’t even faze her, she just unquestioningly had my back the whole time.”

Ruby smiled, allowing her muscles to relax. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” she promised, meaning every word.  _ No one hurts my friends and gets away with it. _

“Well, Dad and I  _ did _ raise her right,” her sister added, her tone a little more light-hearted than before. She loosened her grip on the wheel, her fingers tapping against the smooth leather as she approached a two-way intersection. Rather than making a right like she usually did when heading to Beacon, Yang took a left, something Ruby was just about to question when her sister glanced up at her, and answered the question for her. “Hey, Rubes, if you don’t mind, I’m going to drop you off at Sun’s today.”

She sat forward in her seat, confused by the sudden change of direction, but she didn’t protest. It had been a while since she’d hung out at Sun’s apartment, and there was a new cooperative shooter game she had long since been itching to play with him. Still, she couldn’t just let her curiosity go unanswered. “Obviously I don’t have a problem with it, but what’s the occasion? You haven’t brought me to Sun’s in, like, months.”

Yang just narrowed her eyes, her cheeks flushing as she nodded almost imperceptibly in Weiss’s direction. “I, uh, just have a lot of stuff to go over with Weiss,” she said in the most unconvincing tone Ruby had ever heard her sister use. “And, uh, Blake’s not in the studio today so she won’t be around to occupy you. You’d get pretty bored.”

Ruby smirked, immediately catching on to the hidden meaning in her sister’s words.  _ She wants to spend alone time with Weiss. _ “Right, yeah…” She leaned back, now satisfied, and teasingly kicked the back of Yang's seat. “Well, have fun doing  _ stuff _ . I’ll be kicking butt with Sun in Techno Rangers Four.”

“Oh? You mean you won’t be too busy mooning over each other?” 

“You know,” Ruby started, letting out a sigh of defeat. “I could say something equally as stupid about you and Weiss right now, but I’m not going to because I’m in a good mood and neither of you are going to ruin it.”

Weiss chuckled from the front. “So your good mood has nothing to do with the fact that you’re going to see Sun?”

Ruby met her friend’s challenging glare in the mirror, and leaned forward close enough so that only Weiss could hear what she said next. “Don’t act like you’re not looking forward to getting Yang  _ all _ to yourself all evening.”

Her friend stiffened, Ruby’s taunting having done the trick. “Right, well, um…” She quickly turned her gaze out her window, her eyes widening in delight at the sight of an apartment complex coming into view. “It looks like we’re almost at your stop!”

Only a few minutes later, Ruby was practically leaping out of the car, eager to get away from the teasing as she started up the walk to Sun’s apartment building. She waved goodbye to her sister and friend, silently wishing them a good luck she knew wasn’t even needed, and turned toward the front door, giving it a sturdy three knocks. 

Sun answered the door with a surprised grin. “Oh, sup, Rose! I didn’t know you were coming over.”

“That’s funny, ‘cause neither did I,” she joked, giving him a fist bump as she passed him in the doorway. “Yang kind of just decided to swing me by. I think she’s going to ask Weiss out today.”

Her monkey-tailed friend let out a quiet hum of interest as he closed the door behind them, and led Ruby into the small kitchen. “Well, it’s about damn time.”

“I know, right?” Ruby chuckled, trying to picture Weiss’s expression when Yang finally popped the question. After the day her friend had just had, this was definitely going to be a highlight, and Ruby couldn’t wait to hear  _ all _ about it. She slumped down in a stool at the kitchen island, leaning her head against the cool granite countertop.  _ But ugh, what a long day it’s been… _

Sun went over to the fridge and pulled out two bottles of banana-flavored milk. He set one down in front of Ruby, frowning at her less-than-lively demeanor. “Hey, Rose, you okay?”

She nodded, giving him a tired smile. “Yeah, I guess I’m just a little more tired than I thought I was.” She sat up and opened the cap of her bottle, taking a sip before meeting Sun’s friendly gaze once more. “It was… an interesting day.”

“Wanna talk about it?” Using his tail, he pulled out the stool beside her, and dropped down into it with little effort, his full attention on Ruby. 

“Eh, I think it’d be best coming from someone else,” Ruby said simply, not wanting to land in hot water for telling Weiss’s story without her permission yet again. She wanted to talk to Sun about it, about how scared she was for Weiss, about how her friend had broken down in her arms and how she still clearly wasn’t okay, but she also knew Weiss needed to recuperate, needed the rest of her evening to go without a hitch, and truth be told, Ruby herself needed a break. 

Sun didn’t push her; he’d known Ruby long enough to understand that she’d talk when she was ready, and even if she wouldn’t ever be, he’d always found a way to temporarily get it off her mind. He was almost the entire reason she’d survived Yang’s long period of seclusion after Junior had left, and Ruby had been nothing but grateful to him for always knowing the right things to do or say. 

After he realized she wasn’t going to press the matter anymore, Sun rested an elbow on the countertop and gave Ruby an energetic smile. “So about the other thing, then. How do you feel about Yang and Weiss?”

Ruby perked up again, a wide grin breaking across her face. “I’m  _ really _ hoping Yang doesn’t chicken out at the last minute like she’s known to do and actually goes through with it, because I’m pretty sure Weiss was planning on confessing to her, too, and I kind of wish I could be there to see the look on her face when she realizes just how dumb she is for not noticing Yang is just as hopelessly in love with her as Weiss is.”

“I can imagine,” he chuckled, however, his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes as he kept his gaze on Ruby, a question hidden behind the dark charcoal. “Well, hey, I hope things will work out. They’d be great together.”

Ruby furrowed her eyebrows. What was with the sudden long face? Did Sun not want them to be together? Of course that wasn’t the issue; Sun had seemed just as ecstatic as the rest of them when Weiss and Yang had hit it off. So then what  _ was _ he seemingly so upset about? 

She was about to ask when Sun got up from his stool, and reached for his own bottle of milk. “So, uh, you wanna play a game? I can get Nep online if you want to do a co-op.”

“Wait,” she said, not quite satisfied with their conversation. She reached for his arm, gently pulling him back down to the stool. She met her friend with concerned eyes. “Are you… Is everything okay?”

He nodded. “Yeah, of course!”

“Sun.”

“Rose.”

Ruby narrowed her eyes. He was using  _ that _ tone, now, the fake happy-go-lucky one he always used when he was trying to deflect. It was the same one he’d used after some idiots purposely skid right over his tail at the skate park a few years back. The same one he’d used after one of his favorite animals at the zoo had gotten sick and he was afraid it wouldn’t make it through the night. He was  _ definitely _ hiding something. “ _ Sun _ .”

He sighed. “Okay, okay…” He turned around in his stool, facing away from Ruby as he slid his bottle back and forth across the countertop. “Maybe… I’m a little jealous of how easily Weiss and Yang seemed to just fall into place. Maybe… maybe I’ve had my eye on someone for a while, now, but she doesn’t seem to notice no matter how many hints I throw her way.”

Ruby’s eyes widened, a sudden warmth filling her cheeks as she processed his words. This was the first time Sun had  _ ever _ mentioned liking someone before. They’d talked about  _ everything _ , so why hadn’t they talked about this? And why was he bringing it up  _ now _ of all moments? Was it possible… that the girl he liked was… was  _ her? _

She drew in a deep breath, not wanting to get ahead of herself. As hard as she’d been denying it to her sister and friends, it was no secret, really, to anyone that she’d had feelings for Sun for… well, a  _ long _ time. But what if she told him, and the girl he was talking about happened to be someone else? Ruby wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle that…

“Right, forget it, it’s dumb…” 

“No!” Ruby shouted, realizing she’d taken too long to respond. Her entire face was practically burning, now, but she just couldn’t let this go without a finite answer. She wanted—no, she  _ needed _ —to know the truth. “I—I mean, what’s she like?”

Sun stopped moving the bottle, his tail, too, stiffening for a moment. He glanced over at Ruby, and that was when she noticed that he, too, was blushing almost every shade of red. He straightened his back, his tail starting to move again, swishing back and forth like a pendulum as he gave Ruby the brightest of smiles. “Well, she’s smart. Not in like the booky way, but in the wise-beyond-her-years way, and she’s one of the best listeners I’ve ever met. She’s funny, and sweet, and she always knows what to say to make me laugh.”

Ruby kept her eyes glued to his, too afraid to move, to speak. She wanted to hear more, to know more, about this girl who had stolen his heart.

He held her gaze with such an intense passion in his own eyes, as if he were looking at the most beautiful painting anyone had ever seen. She held onto every word as if each one would be his last, silently pleading for him to never stop talking, as if the moment he did, it would break her heart. “She’s an  _ incredible _ artist. She can draw  _ anything _ , bring anyone to life if she just tried hard enough. And she’s got these  _ amazing _ eyes, not like anything I’ve ever seen before. They’re the rarest type of silver, and just one look could… they could… they could turn you into a giant, blubbering idiot!”

She was practically laughing by the time he’d finished. She couldn’t help it; she just couldn’t believe the things she was hearing, the things he was saying about  _ her _ . When he did finally finish, Ruby was beaming like an idiot, her heart swelling in her chest with so many emotions, so many words she wanted to say, but none of them would ever be sufficient enough to express what she was feeling the most. So she chose to do something else, something totally crazy, something Yang wouldn’t  _ ever _ let her live down if she had been around to witness it. 

Pushing back any anxiety, any tiny, stupid little fear that tried to tell her she was about to make a mistake, Ruby reached for Sun’s hands, and leaned forward, using his chest to steady her weight over the gap between their stools. And she pressed her lips to Sun’s, every other warm thought, positive emotion, every wonderful thing she could possibly think of,  _ paling _ in comparison to the way Sun made her feel when he kissed her back. 


	24. Together

"So what was  _that_  all about?"

Yang waited until she had pulled out of the apartment complex before glancing over at Weiss, and meeting her curious gaze. She flashed her partner a smile, but what Weiss couldn't see was that Yang was actually a nervous wreck inside, anxiety having eaten her up all morning about what she was finally going to ask the birthday girl to do.

Back at Beacon awaited a birthday surprise for Weiss, complete with a box of homemade chocolates that her father had helped her prepare, a stuffed polar bear from the gift shop at the zoo, and a birthday card Yang had finally spilled her guts in, with a date proposal to cap it all off. If all went according to plan, both Yang and Weiss would end the night as the happiest girls in the world. But if it didn't… well, Yang didn't even want to think about that. The last time she had finally gotten the courage to tell someone how she felt, she ended up heartbroken, and more confused about romantic and sexual identities than she ever thought possible. Fortunately, she and Blake had long since gotten past that, and Yang couldn't be prouder and happier to still have her best friend at her side.

But this time, Yang knew all that she thought she needed to about Weiss. Weiss was a lesbian with supportive parents, and as far as Yang was aware, she was single. They got along very well, or at least Yang seemed to think they did, and for the first time in… well, almost a year, Yang knew she could  _truly_  trust Weiss to stay beside her, even when Yang's past threatened to chew her up. If Yang had been reading Weiss's facial expressions, words, and gestures correctly, then everything would work out in both of their favors… right?

After taking a little too long to respond to Weiss's question, the heiress cleared her throat, and tried again. "Listen… If you're worried about what happened at school today, please don't be. I'm not… I'm not going to let some stupid lugheads stop me from being proud of who I am."

_Oh… right… The bullies…_  Yang sighed, turning her attention back to the road as she continued toward Beacon, her nerves beginning to spike once more. "I would feel a lot better if you told a teacher," she murmured, trying her best to hide her concern with a mildly reassuring tone.

Weiss shrugged. "Maybe, but I'm not sure that's really necessary. You should've seen how many people stood up for me, Yang… I think I'm going to be okay."

She let out a breath of relief. She was so glad Weiss and Ruby seemed to have a great group of friends at school, even if Ruby didn't bring them around as often as Yang and their father would have liked. Yang knew she had made things difficult for her sister over the past year, and that home hadn't exactly been the most inviting of places since Junior had left Yang in a rut. But she hoped, now that she was improving, now that she had met Weiss, Ruby would be more willing to bring them around, to proudly introduce them to her big sister.

"I'm glad they were there for you, Weiss," Yang said, turning to her with the briefest of smiles. She looked forward again as a traffic light came into view, and she stopped as it flashed from yellow to red. "Maybe one day, I'll be able to meet these friends you and Ruby talk so highly about."

The artist suddenly perked up, her eyes widening as though she had just remembered something. "Oh! That reminds me, my father said I'm allowed to have a birthday party this weekend, would you be interested in going? I haven't asked Ruby or any of our other friends yet because, well, school kind of got really hectic, but…"

_This weekend?_  Yang bit her lip. She had wanted to take Weiss out that weekend for her birthday, but surely her party wouldn't be  _that_  long, and if she was lucky, they still might be able to do both. "What day?" she asked, making a mental note to keep her entire weekend free, just in case.

Weiss scrunched her eyebrows together. "I don't know, my father said he'd make the preparations  _after_  he knows how many people are coming."

"Isn't that… kind of messy planning?"

She grunted. "My father isn't exactly the greatest at planning ahead of time. That's usually my mom's thing, and, well, I haven't had a birthday party in years. Neither my sister nor I have."

Yang nodded. "I see…" She moved forward as the light switched to green, her stomach starting to twist as she turned onto the final street before they reached the studio.  _So close…_

"So, how about it? Party in a mansion?" Weiss let out the most hesitant of laughs, a small, timid smirk lifting at the corners of her lips as she awaited a response. "We can say… Saturday? Do people still do things Saturday nights?"

"I'm assuming you mean besides planning the outline for your next script even though the due date is still a month away," Yang joked, hoping the topic of comic books would stall the both of them long enough for Yang to rework her schedule in her mind. "Yes, people still do things Saturday nights. I'll make sure to be there, Weiss."

Her friend grinned, the smallest hint of a blush tinting her usually-pale cheeks. "Great! Oh, Blake's invited, too! And of course I'm going to invite Ruby. Should I invite Sun, too?"

Yang chuckled. "I'm sure he'd like to come. Maybe he'll bring Neptune. I don't think you two have met, yet."

Weiss shook her head. "The ever-elusive Neptune. Are you sure he's not just an imaginary friend?"

"Nah, he just works  _a lot_. Like, more than Sun. Motorcycle hobbies are pretty expensive these days, especially when he's adding some new stupid embellishment to his every time I see him." Yang's grip tightened as the studio came into view just about a half-mile away.  _Almost there, Yang…_

"Well, I'd like to meet him." Weiss smiled. "Maybe I'll even invite Jaune… He was… surprisingly pretty tolerable today… I know Pyrrha would like it if he came."

_She suspects nothing,_  Yang thought to herself as she listened to Weiss continue to ramble, too preoccupied by her own worries to note just how  _unusually_  talkative Weiss was being today. Usually, the girl barely talked about her friends or family, aside from the occasional mention of her father, and Ruby and Pyrrha. Yang was looking forward to meeting them all that weekend, but what she was looking forward to most was getting the heiress alone, outside of the confines of the studio walls, outside of the stresses of their work and school lives. She  _really_  hoped Weiss would say yes…

"—and Winter. She said she had a surprise for me, but I'm not sure what it is."

_Wait, what?_  Yang turned into the parking lot of Beacon Comics, her eyes narrowing as she tried to remember whether or not what Weiss had just said was important. She parked the car and finally faced Weiss, but when she found her staring thoughtfully out her own window, she realized that Weiss had just been rambling, seemingly lost in her own world. Yang smiled, admiring how at peace the artist looked when she just allowed herself to wander. Even when she was going on and on about the same chapter of  _Lost & Found_ a dozen separate times, Yang couldn't help but just soak in every single word, every single smile that lit up her face as she talked. Weiss had such a soft voice when she spoke about the things she was passionate about, and her bright blue eyes always glowed with so much intensity, so much wonderment, that Yang couldn't help but be just as much entranced. It almost broke her heart to have to tear the girl away.

"Weiss."

"—I wonder if she's finally going to— _huh_?" Weiss blinked, letting out a hum of realization. "Oh, right. We're here."

Yang laughed. "Don't worry. We can talk more about your birthday after we get a few things done, okay?"

Weiss gave her a sheepish smile. "S-sorry, it's just… It's really been a long time since I've actually celebrated. I almost forgot what it was like."

"That's okay. I'm glad you're excited." She unbuckled her seatbelt and closed her eyes momentarily as she took a deep breath. As soon as they entered Blondie's office, Yang's feelings would be out in the open. So close… and still, Yang wasn't completely sure she could go through with this. She wanted Weiss to know, wanted to  _finally_  give back to her after everything Weiss had done for her since they'd met. But the uncertainty of Weiss's response was so nerve-racking, so intimidating, and Yang wanted to both rip the bandage off, but also keep the contents of her heart so tightly inside at the same time…

"Are you okay?"

_Now? Now you notice…?_  Yang opened her eyes, and gave Weiss a timid smile. "Yeah, I'm great. I'm just thinking about the big pile of papers on my desk right now."

Weiss frowned. "Are you sure you don't want me to call Blake for he—"

"No! It's fine!" Yang immediately shook her head, and reached for the handle of her door. "Let Blake be, she's been so busy, lately. She deserves a day off."

"O-okay…" Weiss finally unbuckled and pushed open her door, picking up her messenger bag from the floor. "Let's go, then."

Yang nodded, taking Weiss's lead, and followed her to the curb. They walked inside the studio together, greeting a few coworkers on their way to Blondie's office, and Yang stopped Weiss outside the closed door. "Can you wait out here for a few seconds? I have to take care of something."

Weiss furrowed her eyebrows. "Um, sure?"

"Cool, I'll be right back." Yang quickly slid inside her office, only cracking the door enough to get in before closing it behind her, making sure Weiss couldn't see the gifts that were arranged on the desk. She moved over to them, rearranging them nervously as she tried to gain her bearings. Her heart was racing, now, her stomach threatening to climb up into her throat as she glanced over the birthday card once more, wondering if maybe the words she wrote were a little  _too_  cheesy. But it was too late to back out, now. She'd promised herself she would do this, promised  _Blake_  that she finally would. She set the card back down on the desk, and let out a long, steadying breath. She walked back over to the door, and slowly opened it again to meet Weiss's confused gaze. "Okay, you can come in."

The artist entered the room cautiously, keeping her eyes on Yang as she stepped around her and toward the desk. When she finally let them wander to their workspace, her eyes widened at the sight of the gifts, and she turned to Yang in surprise. "Yang, I told Ruby I didn't want anything! I thought she would've passed that on to you!"

Yang let out a nervous chuckle. "But come on…" She followed Weiss to the desk, and picked up the teddy bear. "It was too cute to say no to!"

Weiss reached out for the bear with an amused smile. "A polar bear, Yang? Really?"

"Because you're my  _Snowpea_ ," she replied as coolly as she could while her nerves threatened to jump out of her skin at any moment. She reached for the box of chocolates, and handed them to Weiss. "And these because you've been  _just so sweet_  to me since we've started working together."

Her partner smirked at that, setting the bear down on the chair as she opened the package. She turned her back to Yang, her face hidden as she glanced down at the snowflake-shaped treats inside. "If I didn't know any better," she said, her voice taking on a strange mix of enjoyment and embarrassment, "I'd think you were flirting with me…"

Yang sucked in a deep breath, and reached for the final gift, her hands now shaking almost imperceptibly as she pushed it toward Weiss. "Maybe I am…"

Her back remained turned as she set down the box, a piece of chocolate noticeably missing as she picked up the card in its place. After a moment, she opened the card, and Yang heard her voice again, soft and small as she read the passage out loud.

"'Weiss… The time since I met you may be measurably short, but time cannot measure how much you've come to mean since you entered my life. Before you, everything still felt so wrong, but now, for some reason, it's starting to feel right.'" She paused, letting out a quiet gasp. "Yang, is this… is this a poem?"

"Yeah, I, uh… You don't have to read it out loud…"

Weiss shook her head, her long ponytail swaying back and forth. "No, I want to. Is that okay?"

Yang swallowed. This was so  _damn_  intimidating… Poetry had never been the writer's niche, but it would be a lie if Yang said she didn't enjoy it every once in a while, and when she started writing Weiss's card, the words just wouldn't stop coming. She wasn't sure if she could exactly call it a  _poem_ , but it certainly wasn't just some random drabble. It wasn't like the little blurbs or dialogue she wrote for  _Lost & Found_ at all, but it was still just as important, just as much a part of Yang as her comic. It was personal, and it felt so,  _so_  weird hearing Weiss say the things Yang wrote out loud. But she didn't have the heart to tell Weiss no. It was  _her_  gift, after all.

"Yeah… I guess that's okay…"

Weiss nodded, and continued. "'I never thought I'd be able to replace the people and things I've lost, but somehow, you've managed to replace them all. And not only that, but you've repaired all the holes they created when they left.'"

_God, it's so sappy…_  Yang could feel her cheeks burning as Weiss read, glad that Weiss had her back turned if only so she wouldn't see just how much of a mess Yang was turning into behind her.

"'I keep thinking one day I'll wake up and this'll just be a dream. But every day, I keep waking up, and I keep finding that you're real… I was so lost, so hurt, so scared before you, but I'm learning, and I'm healing, and I think I know what I feel.'" Weiss paused again, her shoulders lifting as she finally turned to face Yang, her eyes round and cheeks flushed as she met Yang with a look of sudden realization. "'I know you'll never be the people and things I've lost, but I don't need, and I don't want, you to ever be. You're different, and you're better, and I like you best of all.'"

Yang's stomach was practically doing somersaults, now, and her knees were starting to feel a little wobbly underneath her. She needed to sit, but she didn't think she could find a way to without Weiss knowing, without her seeing just how vulnerable Yang was right then. All she could do was shove a fist to her lips, biting down hard on her knuckles as she averted her gaze. Somehow, this felt  _worse_  than taking a seat, but she was frozen, now, and as much as she was suffering, she was intent on hearing Weiss finish.

"'I like you in a way I haven't liked anyone in years,'" Weiss started again, her voice becoming softer and heavier with emotion with each word that she read. Her eyes were wavering, dancing across the page as if she were fighting back tears, and Yang could only hope,  _pray_ , that they were of happiness and nothing else. "'And I hope you feel the same, because this is the best gift I could come up with on such short notice. Please say you don't regret it.'"

When she finished, she closed the card, set it back on the desk, and stood there silently, seeming to process what Yang had written. Yang continued to shake, her heart still racing, her nerves eating her alive as she waited for Weiss to say, to  _do_  anything. And as she stood there, her lilac eyes glued to the ground, she saw one of Weiss's shoes come into view, and then another as she came to a stop.

"Yang…"

She saw a hand come into view next, reaching up slowly, resting on top of Yang's fist as Weiss slowly pulled it away from her mouth. She lifted her gaze hesitantly, her entire face burning in embarrassment, now, as she found the softest, warmest smile gracing Weiss's lips.

"That was the most beautiful thing you have ever written," Weiss whispered, her thumb moving gently across the backs of Yang's knuckles. "I just wish you would've waited a little bit longer…"

Yang blinked, raising her head the rest of the way at Weiss's words. "W-what do you mean?"

It was Weiss's turn to redden like a tomato, now. She dropped Yang's hand and moved her own protectively behind her back, her eyes darting to the side. "Well, um… I was actually hoping to… to tell you how  _I_  feel… I've been thinking about it all day…"

Suddenly, Yang's stomach unclenched, the tension leaving her nerves at Weiss's revelation. Her knees locked again, becoming steady, but the heat in her cheeks remained, this time for a completely different reason. "So, what you're saying, is…?"

"I like you back," Weiss confirmed, looking up at Yang. " _A lot._  And all those things you said about  _me_  filling some of those holes…" Her smile widened. "Yang, I've felt happier since I met you than I have in a long,  _long_  time… I know I don't talk about it a lot, but… Before I discovered  _Lost & Found_, before I met Ruby, before you, before  _all_  of this, I was so lonely… I was so afraid I would never be able to become the artist I want to be, and Yang, you  _gave_  me that. You gave me the freedom and courage to be myself, to be more outgoing, to be more understanding. You gave me  _so_  much…"

She could feel the smile tugging at her lips, splitting across her face. She never knew such a strong feeling of bliss like this even existed, but just hearing Weiss say those things, making Yang feel just as needed, just as helpful, just as important to Weiss that Weiss had been to her… it just cemented how much she truly cared for the girl. How much she  _needed_  to make sure that Weiss stayed in her life. She wanted so much to just have Weiss at her side always, to wake up to her texts, to tease her about their stories, to tell her about her day. To just  _be there_.

"Weiss, I had no idea…"

Weiss let out a light huff. "Well, now you do."

Yang nodded. "So… I like you, and you like me…" She stepped forward, closing any space between her and Weiss, and looked down at her intently, questioningly. "Where do we go from here?"

"I…" Weiss's gaze flickered down from Yang's eyes to her lips, biting her own as she glanced back up, the desire in her eyes so contagious that Yang was beginning to feel it, too. "Is this okay? Is it okay for us to…?"

"To what?" Yang's voice was low, her brows furrowed as she followed Weiss's gaze to the door. It took her a moment to realize what Weiss was asking, but when it clicked, Yang just let out an understanding hum, and turned back to her with a smile. "To date? To work together?"

Weiss nodded.

"Well, it sure would be hypocritical of Ozpin to tell us no," Yang started with a smirk, "since at least three other writers are in a relationship with their artists here, and one of the couples signed onto Beacon Comics already married." She took a small step back from Weiss, giving her a little space to think this over. "I trust you, Weiss. I don't think you would ever hurt or leave me. I feel like if there's ever a problem, I can talk to you about it, and we can work through it together."

"I feel the same way," Weiss assured her, a small smile returning to her lips. "But I want to tell my father. I want him to know that you're Blondie. I don't want to hide a secret that big from him."

Yang blinked, not expecting Weiss to ask her something so big. Barely anyone knew Blondie's identity, and back when she started writing  _Lost & Found_, it was for a good reason. She was young when she started, and she was young even now, and she enjoyed the privacy her secret life offered her as opposed to the many big-name authors at Beacon who chose to make both their work and their private lives public knowledge. Weiss wasn't asking for Yang to completely come clean, but to tell one of the most influential people in all of Vale that she had been working alongside his daughter all along? It was a daunting request, but one Weiss clearly felt was necessary should they decide to become something more.

"If that's too much to ask, then—"

"No," Yang said quickly, moving forward again and reaching for Weiss's hands. She gave her a reassuring smile. "Do you trust your father?"

Weiss nodded. "He would never out you, Yang. Just like he never outed me."

Yang squeezed Weiss's hands. "Then I trust him, too." She let out a short sigh. "But I want to be the one to tell him. After your party. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good." Yang glanced down at their hands, taking a moment to process everything that had just happened in the past few minutes. She'd finally told Weiss how she felt, and Weiss felt the same way. They both wanted to be together, and they wanted to continue to work together all the same. It was all going well, and Yang wasn't even sure what she had been so nervous about in the first place. Later on, she would tell Blake, and Blake would scoff, and tell her she knew better. She was sure Weiss would be the first to tell Ruby, and by the end of the night, the word would probably spread to Sun and Neptune, too. It was just how their circle of friends worked, and Yang didn't mind so much. But right now, she just wanted to have Weiss to herself, to keep their secret for a little longer where they could revel in it together.

Weiss squeezed Yang's hands before pulling her own away, and resting them gently on either of Yang's shoulders. "So, this work you said you had to get done…?"

Yang smirked. "Completely made that up." She glanced up at the clock hanging above her desk, noting the time before turning back to Weiss. "Actually, we have the next two hours completely to ourselves. It's up to you how you want to spend it."

Her partner held her gaze for a moment longer before glancing down, and sucking in her bottom lip. "Well, we've got all this chocolate here, and a nice sitting area over there. I've got my Scroll, and an unlimited access to any movie or show I want to watch for free."

"Perks of being a Schnee?"

Weiss huffed. "Perks of being a Schnee." She finally glanced back up at Yang, her brows knitting together nervously, and that strong sense of desire returned, letting Yang know exactly what she wanted to do. Yang closed her eyes just slightly, leaning forward enough to let Weiss know that it was okay to proceed. As the smaller girl inched forward, moving her hands up Yang's neck and to her cheeks, Yang's heart began to rise in her chest, warmth immediately consuming her as their lips finally met.

The kiss was short, and over almost too quickly, but it was just as sweet, just as tender as Yang had always imagined it would be. And as she looked down into the crystal-blue eyes of the angel she'd just shared it with, Yang decided, at this moment, that she couldn't possibly be any happier.

"Thank you, Yang."

"For what?"

Weiss smiled, taking Yang's hands in her own once more, and reached up to press the gentlest of kisses to her cheek. "For making this the best birthday ever."

Yang grinned. "Thank  _you_ , Weiss."  _For everything…_


	25. Until Tomorrow

She still couldn’t believe it. Even as she stood outside of her home, watching with a warm smile and a blush as Yang’s car disappeared from her driveway, it still seemed to Weiss as though the past few hours of her day, she’d been living a dream. Her heart was so high, so full, every nerve in her body so much more sensitive than she was used to. She could _still_ feel Yang’s chapped, yet somehow gentle, lips against hers, the memory still bringing her absolute bliss.

They hadn’t yet talked about what that kiss, and what their shared time together at Beacon that afternoon, had meant about their relationship going forward. Weiss wanted to introduce Yang to her father before they made that decision, and although she was nervous, and a little skeptical about her father’s response, she still hoped that at the end of it all, she would be able to proudly call Yang Xiao Long her girlfriend.

Oh, how incredible it made Weiss feel to finally have the opportunity to call someone, _especially_ someone who had such an immense impact on her life, her girlfriend. She just needed to figure out how, exactly, she was going to be able to convince her father that dating her writing partner wouldn’t become a conflict of interest. How had Winter and Jim hidden their relationship for so long? How had her sister been able to bear it, not being able to see him outside of the confines of work?

Weiss drew in a deep breath, and finally turned toward her house. She hiked her messenger bag up her shoulder, squared her back, and stepped inside. She was greeted almost immediately by bright and knowing smile of her older sister, who was leaning against the windowsill by the front door, making it clear she had watched Weiss’s and Yang’s entire exchange.

“Well, well, well,” Winter breathed coolly, pushing away from the windowsill and walking over to Weiss as the door closed behind her. “That was _quite_ the goodbye.”

Weiss bit her lip, her cheeks already starting to burn as she looked away from her sister. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She started up the stairs wordlessly, hoping Winter would let it go, but she found no such luck as she was stopped by a hand enclosing around her wrist.

“I’m not blind,” Winter whispered as she came up behind her. She glanced around the foyer cautiously before moving her hand up to Weiss’s back, and leading her gently the rest of the way up the stairs. Weiss let out a sigh as they reached the top, and let her sister lead her to her bedroom, where she let Winter finish her thoughts. “Isn’t that your friend’s sister I caught you making moony eyes at?”

“We’re just friends,” Weiss lied, and it was quite a bad one. How was she supposed to explain to Winter now what was going on between her and Yang? Her sister was smart, she would’ve put two-and-two together in no time, and Weiss was not prepared to be lectured about the dangers of a work relationship, as hypocritical the words would’ve been coming from her.

Winter shook her head. “Something tells me that’s not the slightest bit true… I know you like her, I’ve been watching her drop you off for weeks, now. And the way you looked at each other just now, that was mutual.”

Weiss let out a groan, and plopped back on her bed. “Am I really that obvious?”

“To me, you are.” Winter let out a light laugh, and moved over to Weiss’s bed, sitting down beside her. “So… are you two together?”

“I…” Weiss closed her eyes, trying to think. If she was already so transparent that Winter could tell they were… _more_ than friends, then it was probably just best to get the rest out of the way. After all, they’d all know by the time her party rolled around that weekend, anyway. Which reminded her, she still needed to invite the rest of her friends… She opened her eyes and sat up in bed, reaching for her Scroll.

Winter furrowed her eyebrows. “Are you ignoring me?”

“What? No!” Weiss opened her Scroll to her messages. “I just remembered something I really need to take care of. Give me a few seconds.” She composed a group message to Ruby, Blake, and Pyrrha, and told them to clear their weekend schedules. She sent the message and set her Scroll back on her bed, turning back to her sister. “We don’t know _what_ we are, yet. We kind of just sorted out our feelings this afternoon.”

Her sister let out an understanding hum. “So what’s stopping you from becoming something more?”

Weiss looked away, finding a loose thread in her bedspread that seemed far more interesting than her sister right now. She swallowed, wishing there was just an easy way to say this, an easier way for her family to just accept a positive relationship when they saw it. She wanted to be with Yang _so_ much, but she wasn’t about ready to give up her job for it. Working with Yang was a dream come true, it was a blessing, and she didn’t want to stop just because her feelings for Yang didn’t match up with her family’s work ethics.

“Weissy?”

She let out a sigh, and looked up at her sister again. “Yang is… Yang is Blondie…”

Winter knitted her brows together in confusion, not seeming to understand what Weiss was saying at first. “Blon—” But then her expression fell, her eyes widening, and suddenly, her face took on a much more stoic, unreadable look. “Your boss.”

“Well, she’s more of just a writing partner than my boss,” Weiss started timidly, though either way she spun it, Yang played a big part in directing Weiss at the end of the day.

“She’s still a coworker,” Winter responded, as if Weiss needed her to point out the obvious. “What did I tell you about keeping your feelings distant? You know Father—”

“I _know_ ,” Weiss snapped, quickly cutting her sister off before she had to subject herself to an unwanted lecture. “I _know_ the risks, okay? But Yang and I can’t help how we feel for each other. Just like you and Jim can’t.”

Winter drew in a deep breath, her expression still unfaltering. “Weiss, contrary to what you may believe, I’m _not_ trying to talk you out of this.” She turned to Weiss, now, her lips falling into a concerned frown. “I just… don’t want you to get your hopes up. I don’t want you to get hurt, either. There’s a reason Jim and I are keeping our relationship a secret. You’re young, and feeling so many things you’re not used to. Keeping a secret that huge could really take a toll on you.”

Weiss nodded. “I know that, Winter. That’s _why_ I’m not going to keep it a secret.” She turned her attention back to that loose thread. Oh, how she wished that stupid little thread was her only problem right then. She reached for it, her nerves starting to spike, not out of bliss anymore, but in anxiousness. “I’m inviting Yang to my birthday party this weekend. Yang wants to meet Dad, to try to change his mind herself. She doesn’t want to keep that secret from him.”

“That’s… that’s quite the bold move.”

“I know.” She took the thread between her fingers and began to twist it, not wanting to think about the consequences if Yang’s meeting with her father didn’t go according to plan. She wanted Yang so, _so_ much… “Winter… she makes me _so_ happy…”

Her sister sighed. “She sounds like she means a lot to you.”

Weiss let go of the thread, and glanced warily back up at Winter. “I don’t know what I’ll do if we don’t get Dad’s blessing… This job is the most important thing that’s ever happened to me, and I refuse to give it up… But Yang, she… I don’t know if I could take it if I couldn’t be with her the way we both want to be…”

Winter closed her eyes, seeming to mull this over. Weiss waited for her to respond, each second that passed feeling like an hour of excruciating suspense, not sure what her sister was thinking or what she’d say next. She could only hope it was something good… Finally, Winter opened her eyes, and turned to Weiss with the smallest of smiles. “Perhaps I can help…”

Weiss’s eyes immediately lit up, her spirit finally lifting again as she gave her sister a hopeful look. “Really?!”

“I can try,” Winter said, her tone conveying a hint of hesitance. “I’ll talk to Father. It’s the least I can do.”

“But you’ll wait until after the party, right?” Weiss asked, just to make sure. “I don’t want him to be suspicious before Yang and I even get the chance to tell him.”

“Yes. I’ll wait until after the party.” Winter smiled again, this time more genuine than before. “So aside from the excitement with Yang, how was the rest of your birthday?”

Weiss let out a small huff. “That’s… a complicated question…”

Her sister raised an eyebrow. “Did something _else_ happen I should know about?”

“Well—” She turned back to the thread, her heart suddenly sinking again as she thought about her earlier run-in with Cardin. So much had happened that day, she just wasn’t sure where she should start, or whether she even wanted Winter to know about it at all. Her sister could be… _dramatic_ at times, especially when it came to protecting Weiss, and the last thing she needed was for Winter to feel like she had to get involved in an issue that for the most part had already been resolved. “I’m out to the whole school, now.”

Winter blinked. “Really? Weiss, that’s great! What made you decide to finally—”

“I actually,” Weiss started, her fingers fidgeting nervously in her lap, “didn’t come out. Not the way you think I did, I mean…” She forced herself to meet Winter’s confused expression, swallowing down the small lump that began to rise in the back of her throat. “A few weeks ago, I finally came out to Ruby. It was after class ended, and I thought we were the only ones around, but someone overheard us, and… and she told someone she thought was her friend, who turned out to be a massive jerk. He started a rumor about my sexuality around school, and it finally all came to a head today.”

“Weiss—”

“I don’t think that jerk will be bothering me anymore, but I’m not going to go out of my way to deny the rumors,” she continued, hoping to quell her sister’s obvious concerns. “They’re true, after all, and if things work out between me and Yang, I want to be able to share my feelings and talk about her out in the open. I’m _so_ sick of hiding…”

Winter let out the breath she’d been holding, and lifted a hand to Weiss’s shoulder. “And you shouldn’t have had to hide in the first place. I’m proud of you, Weissy.”

Weiss smirked. “Don’t you think I’m old enough now not to be called that nickname anymore?”

Her sister laughed. “As long as you’re my little sister, you’ll always be ‘Weissy’ to me. If you ever have a little sibling, you reserve all rights to call them whatever you want.”

“Somewhere, there’s a world where I have a little sister or brother,” Weiss joked, glad that they had moved past the drama of her birthday dilemma so quickly. “And they think I’m the nicest, coolest big sister that there ever was.”

Winter’s eyes widened in feigned offense. “Even cooler than _me_?”

Weiss raised an eyebrow. “I would hardly call you ‘cool’.”

“You only say that because you’re a little sister.”

“Maybe so.” Weiss grinned, and leaned into Winter’s embrace, most of her previous anxiety about that day finally leaving her. Though it had had its bumps and rough patches, she wouldn’t have traded her birthday for any other day in the world. Through it all, Weiss had found she had more friends than she could have ever imagined, and she didn’t have to lie about who she was any longer. She could be herself, in the open, and she had a large group of people who cared for and accepted her exactly as she was. She glanced up at her sister, and let out a content sigh. “So you said in that card this morning that you have a surprise for me?”

Winter gave Weiss’s shoulder a gentle squeeze before pulling away. “I do. Thank you for reminding me.” She pushed herself up from Weiss’s bed, and turned toward the door. “I’ll be right back.”

Weiss fell back against her mattress and stared up at her high ceiling, smiling to herself as she awaited her sister’s return. She wondered how she had gotten so lucky in the past month, how her life had changed so much from the mundane, everyday struggles of being an heiress with no clear direction, to the ever-exciting roller-coaster that was the life of a thriving comic book artist and high school student. So much had gone right that she could hardly recall just how horrible the previous year had been, how lonely, how isolated, how _wrong_ she had once felt for so long after her accident. She didn’t need to dwell on it anymore; she had almost everything she could’ve possibly wanted, and even when things _didn’t_ go her way, she knew she had an endless amount of support from those around her to make sure she got right back up and kept trying.

“I know it’s not as _exciting_ as, I don’t know, a confession from the girl you like,” Winter said as she walked back into Weiss’s room, her hands hiding something behind her back. “But this once meant a lot to me, and I hope it can come to mean a lot to you.”

Weiss sat up and eyed her sister curiously. “I’m sure I’ll love whatever it is.”

The older Schnee sat back down beside Weiss, and slowly moved her hands out in front of her, where she revealed a long, white velvet box. She passed it over to Weiss with a patient smile, who took it eagerly, and opened the lid with the utmost care.

When she saw what was inside, Weiss let out a tiny gasp, her bright eyes widening at the beautiful hairpiece that rested inside. It was the same tiara-shaped hairpin their mother had given Winter on her eighteenth birthday, the same day their father had announced that he had chosen Winter to inherit the family company. It had certainly been one of the best days of Winter’s life, and Weiss hadn’t seen her sister smile as purely ever since. There was a small pang in her chest as she reached for the tiara, and turned to Winter with both sorrow and uncertainty. “But this is your most prized possession.”

Winter shook her head. “I’ve no need of it anymore. It’d mean a lot more to me if it you kept it.”

“But, Winter—”

“Weiss,” her sister started, a regretful smile crossing her lips, “I may not have the life I used to, but I’m still so proud of how far I’ve come. I don’t need a hairpiece to remind me of that. Besides, I was never into jewelry much, anyway, and I have a feeling this will look _much_ better on you than it ever did on me.” She reached for the tiara and lifted it to Weiss’s head, still smiling as she gently pushed back a few strands of Weiss’s hair, and set the hairpiece in place.

Weiss gave her a sheepish smile. “H-how does it look?”

Winter simply clicked her tongue. “I think you will knock Yang right off her feet when she sees you wearing it this weekend.”

* * *

Friday passed excruciatingly slow. School had dragged on without incidence, Cardin having kept his distance after Weiss’s growing group of friends had come to her defense. Ruby and Emerald finally seemed to be on pleasant terms, and Emerald was slowly but surely beginning to warm up to the rest of their group. They had all eaten lunch together that day, had talked about the party in which they were all invited, and Weiss couldn’t have been more excited for the weekend if she’d tried.

After school, Ruby, who had been acting so much bubblier than usual — and even that was saying something — had finally confessed to Weiss that she and Sun had kissed, and that they were “sort of kind of” a couple, now. Weiss teased her relentlessly until Blake had come to pick them up that afternoon, and Blake spent the entire car ride picking on Weiss and Ruby _both_ for their newfound love interests. Yang had taken the entire weekend, including that Friday, off from work, so Blake brought Weiss and Ruby over to the Rose-Xiao Long home, where Yang had immediately ushered them all into her own car to take into town.

Yang had made sure to stop at every single comic book store and newsstand that Vale had to offer, pointing out the new issue of _Lost & Found _ that had, after weeks of struggle and hard work, finally been released for all the world to see. She bought one from each stand and store, because she could, while Blake flipped through her Scroll and read all of the positive reviews about the release. Multiple reviewers agreed that Blondie’s beloved storytelling was stronger than ever, and many also raved about the “mysterious new artist” under the name of Snowpea whose work was “reminiscent of Junior himself but refreshingly poignant and different in their own.” Yang and Weiss had been on Cloud Nine the whole afternoon, and Blake and Ruby were just as happy to see Yang actually excited, _proud_ , of her work again.

Later that evening, after Weiss had been dropped off at home, she sat with her father in the kitchen as they went over the last few details about her party, making sure everything was set for the following day. Her Scroll went off in her pocket probably about ten times by the time they had finished, each time, her father shooting her a suspicious look and asking if she needed to answer it. She’d lied, and told him that it was just her friends all confirming, again, that they’d be there, but by the time she finally escaped to her room, she had found multiple messages from Yang, most of them dorky pictures of herself in some of the most ridiculous outfits Weiss had ever seen, asking Weiss which she preferred for the party. Weiss had told her that if she wore a single one of them, Weiss would deny ever knowing her, and Yang joked that she would just show up naked instead.

They had texted back and forth the remainder of the night, talking about anything and everything, until Weiss finally drifted off to sleep. She awoke the next morning to a few teasing messages from Yang, poking fun at Weiss for having fallen asleep on her. Weiss wished her a good morning and told her she’d see her later that night, and the rest of the day, Weiss was an anxious mess, making sure the open family room was more than presentable for her guests when they arrived.

Her parents had promised to make themselves present as minimally possible, but her father made sure Weiss promised to introduce each and every one of her friends to him. He wanted to know who his daughter had spending all of her time with, if they were treating her well. Her heart and mind were swarming with so many different emotions throughout the day, so much excitement, nervousness, and impatience as she waited and waited for the night to draw closer. Finally, about an hour before the party was supposed to begin, Blake, much to Weiss’s surprise, called Weiss, and let her know she was waiting outside.

Weiss had immediately rushed to the door, her heart racing frantically as she feared she had lost track of time, but Blake had insisted she show up early to help Weiss get ready to “blow Yang away”. Blake’s teasing tone had taken Weiss completely off-guard, this being the first time since they’d made up at Beacon that Blake had finally fully approached Weiss in a lighthearted and unguarded matter. It was a welcomed surprise, and Blake spent the time helping Weiss get ready in her bedroom also reassuring Weiss that everything between her and Yang would work out by the end of the night.

“If you’re honest about how you feel, I think you’ll be surprised by the outcome,” Blake told her with the most confidence Weiss had ever heard her use. She was sitting on Weiss’s bed, now, helping Weiss tie the back of her dress. When she had finished, Weiss turned around to face her, and met her with a look of uncertainty.

“I just… I don’t want to mess this up.”

Blake stood up from Weiss’s bed, and moved over to the pristine vanity table that stood several feet away. She picked up the box that housed Weiss’s hairpiece, and offered Weiss the most genuine of smiles. “Weiss, in all the time that I’ve known you, you’ve done more to repair Yang’s life than any of us have been able to in a year. You got through to your father about working at Beacon, and I think you’ll be able to get through to him about seeing Yang, too. Once he sees how inseparable you two are tonight, I don’t think he’ll have it in him to tear you apart.”

Weiss huffed. “You’d be surprised what my father is capable of. You heard about what he did to my sister last year, didn’t you?”

Blake furrowed her eyebrows as she glanced down at the box in her hands. She looked back up at Weiss and walked back over to her, setting the box down on the bed. “I… I’ve heard a lot of things about you and your family, but I’ve been wrong before. I’d rather you tell me about what happened.”

“Oh…” Weiss nodded, lowering herself to her bed. She reached up for Blake’s hand, pulling her friend gently down beside her. It had been a while since she’d had to explain the accident to anyone; she’d thought it was public knowledge by now, and Weiss had never been one to argue with the public, even if almost everything they’d written about Winter since then had been completely and utterly false. “Well, I’m sure you already know about the accident.”

“I know your sister was driving,” Blake confirmed. “You were a passenger, right?”

She nodded again, letting out a low sigh. “The reporters don’t know the whole story, though. My parents still don’t, either…” Weiss picked up the box and turned it in her hands, gently rubbing her fingers against the smooth velvet. “I went to my first comic book convention that night. My father, of course, never would’ve approved of me going to such an event, so I made up a story that I was staying at a friend’s house, and Winter went along with it. But my father got out of work early that night, and he wanted to surprise me at my friend’s. He told Winter not to pick me up, that he’d be getting me, and of course she panicked because he was going to find out when he got to my _friend’s_ house and didn’t find me there that I’d lied to him—that we _both_ did.”

Blake hummed thoughtfully, but she didn’t say anything as she waited for Weiss to continue.

“Winter called me and told me I had to leave the convention immediately, that she had to get me to the other person’s house before our father showed up. I was upset, all I wanted to do was enjoy myself without having to lie for once.” Weiss bit her lip. “But Winter… Winter was the heiress at the time, and she didn’t like lying to our father. She didn’t want to risk hurting his trust after everything he’d done for her. So we bickered back and forth until Winter finally talked me into getting in the car, and no matter how many times I told her to slow down…”

“She ran a red light.”

Weiss lifted her head, hoping to find some sort of emotion in her friend’s face, but Blake was as stoic as always, patient, understanding. She hated telling this story. As often as she thought about it, Weiss always found it difficult to verbalize, always afraid the guilt would eat her alive if she ever told anyone how she truly felt. “I still think…” Her voice was almost a whisper, now, her gaze averting from Blake’s, silently praying her friend would not find the regret that shone in Weiss’s eyes. “I still think it should’ve been me… should’ve been me who was punished, and not Winter… It was my fault she was rushing all over the place, my fault she had her title and her _life_ completely stripped away…”

That was all it took for Blake to finally react. In an instant, the older girl’s arms were around Weiss, pulling her into the warmest, most unexpected hug. “Please don’t say that. It wasn’t your fault, Weiss.”

She leaned into Blake’s embrace, finding a surprising comfort in her arms. Even after all this time, Weiss still blamed herself, still wanted more for her sister, still wished there was a way she could somehow make things right for them both. They had both long since accepted their own fates, but it just wasn’t fair — Weiss had been the one who had talked Winter into lying, the one who had made her sister choose Weiss’s dream over her own. Winter had never truly been the same since the accident, hadn’t been able to look their father entirely in the eye, to address him with the freedom she once had. Weiss had taken it _all_ from her, and even though it was something Weiss had never wanted for herself, it still never quite hurt the way it had broken up her sister inside.

“It was just one little lie,” Weiss finally spoke after a few moments. She lifted her head, and finally met Blake’s sympathetic gaze. “But it was a lie that pretty much ruined my sister’s life. My father doesn’t take lying very lightly, and for good reason. When Yang and I finally tell him the truth about who she is, what’s he going to do? How’s he going to react? What if he makes me choose between Yang and _Lost & Found _?”

Blake reached over Weiss’s lap, and picked up the box that was sitting beside her. She opened the lid, and smiled down at the glistening tiara inside. “You’re _not_ lying this time, though. If you’re telling the truth, then how can it be wrong?”

Weiss sighed. “I wish I had your confidence, Blake.”

Her friend lifted the tiara out of the box, and offered it to Weiss. “This is all the confidence you need. With this obscenely _extra_ hairpiece, no one will be telling you ‘no’ tonight.”

She took the hairpiece from Blake, letting out a light laugh. “I never would’ve pegged you as the type of person who puts faith in inanimate objects.”

“Oh, I’m not,” Blake agreed with a chuckle of her own. “But I have faith in you, and I have faith in Yang, and it’s also almost time for your party to start. So you better put this on and get your butt downstairs before everyone else arrives.”

Weiss rolled her eyes, but didn’t try to hide the wide grin that was now stretching across her lips. “Thank you, Blake.” She finally got up from her bed and moved over to her vanity, finding her reflection as she lifted the hairpiece to her head. She pulled forward a few loose strands of hair, and tucked them behind her ear before turning to face Blake once more. “How do I look?”

“Like the geekiest, most adorable rich girl I know.”

She laughed. “I’m the _only_ geeky, adorable rich girl you know.”

Blake smiled, and walked over to Weiss. “So you _know_ it must be true.” She gestured toward the door. “Are you ready?”

Weiss nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the family room was full and bustling with all of Weiss’s friends, upbeat music playing in the background as the people she cared most about chatted and took in the luxurious surroundings of the Schnee Manor. Weiss had been pleasantly surprised when Emerald showed up dressed in her best, and sheepishly thanking Weiss for the invitation. She and Ruby were much more easy-going around each other that night, and Weiss even heard Ruby offer the girl a few genuine compliments and suggestions on how to make her poses more dynamic during art class.

Yang, who hadn’t bothered to come inside after dropping Ruby off, arrived shortly after with Sun and a blue-haired boy that Weiss didn’t recognize, immediately beginning to apologize for previously taking off as soon as she stepped in through the door. However, her apology was cut short as she finally took in Weiss’s appearance, her mouth hanging open and her lilac eyes shimmering in awe, a look Weiss had only previously seen the girl use upon admiring the finished panels of the recent issue of their comic. It took Yang a moment to gather her bearings as Weiss did her best to hide her blush, letting out a joyous giggle at being able to render her partner so easily speechless. It was only Sun’s teasing that broke the girls out of their shared little world and reminded them that they weren’t alone, and Weiss had to almost force herself to look away from Yang so Sun could finally properly introduce her to the blue-haired boy named Neptune.

He was tall and quirky, and despite his smooth, flirtatious way of talking, Weiss could tell that he was the slightest bit nervous, and trying a little too hard to impress her. About halfway through his quickly failing attempt to engage her in a story about the bike he’d saved up all year to buy, he cut himself off and admitted that he wasn’t used to making new friends, and that he didn’t want to come off as a dork. Weiss had laughed, reminded him that they were all dorks, there, and that she would much rather get to know him while he was being himself. She thanked him for coming before he took off into the family room after Sun, and began to join Blake in teasing Sun and Ruby about their newfound relationship.

When Weiss and Yang were finally alone, a moment of awkward silence passed between them, neither knowing just what to say, or when to say it. Finally, Weiss decided to address the elephant in the room, and asked Yang if she was having any second thoughts about coming out to Weiss’s father later that night. Yang admitted she was nervous, but promised Weiss she had no plans of backing down, and she paused for a second to glance around the foyer before quickly pecking Weiss on the cheek. With the tension quickly dissipating between them, Weiss happily took Yang’s hand and led her into the family room to enjoy the party.

Pyrrha and Jaune were the last of Weiss’s friends to arrive, about an hour later than everyone else. Pyrrha had apologized for being late, explaining that they had a rehearsal for the school musical, and had been held up after Jaune got stuck in his costume and had to wait for the crew to help him out of it before they were able to leave. Their entire group of friends laughed at the misfortune while Jaune simply let out an embarrassed groan, but thanked Weiss for her patience. She thanked him again for the necklace he’d given her on her birthday, and even revealed to him that she had chosen to wear it that night, saying she was happy she could finally fully be herself.

The party passed without incident, and Weiss couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a night so full of fun. This was the first time she’d had all of her friends in the same place at once, just genuinely enjoying themselves and celebrating Weiss’s presence as a member of their group. For the first time in years, she actually felt like she was truly wanted, truly appreciated, like she _really_ belonged. And the best part was that she didn’t have to pretend around any of them. She could just be the comic book artist, the bubbly fangirl, just another girl who happened to _really_ like another girl. And it was okay. She was okay. _Everything_ was fully, perfectly okay.

When the time came for the party to come to a close, Weiss’s father finally came downstairs to fulfill Weiss’s promise, and insisted she introduce him to all of her friends. Much to her surprise, her father seemed to get along well with each of them, offering the sincerest of smiles even toward Sun and Blake, the latter of whom had still been just the slightest bit apprehensive about meeting a man of such high social power. Just as Weiss had previously assured Blake, her father didn’t seem to pay any mind to Sun’s tail or Blake’s ears at all, and simply thanked them for being such great friends to Weiss.

After the majority of her guests had left, Blake, Ruby, and Yang had stayed behind to help Weiss and her father clean up, Ruby, to no one’s surprise, managing to talk the man’s ear off about all of the projects she and Weiss had worked together on in school. He listened intently the whole time, and Weiss internally thanked her best friend for being such a great distraction to her father while she and Yang exchanged looks across the family room, the nerves beginning to set in as their inevitable confession drew closer. Finally, Blake had to pull Ruby aside and tell her it was time to go home, and Yang and Weiss were left with her father to face the music together.

Her father had gotten up from the armchair in the far corner of the room, and was about to head back upstairs when Weiss approached him timidly, clearing her throat to get his attention. He stopped at the large archway that separated the family room and foyer, and smiled down at his youngest daughter. “Did you enjoy your party?”

Weiss returned his smile, however cautiously. “Yes I did. Thank you again for letting me do this.”

“Good. I’m glad.” He glanced over Weiss’s shoulder at Yang, who had finally shuffled over in their direction, and was quietly hanging out by a plant just a few feet away. “Oh, I believe your friend is waiting to say goodnight to you. You should see her out.”

“Actually,” Weiss began, inhaling deeply as she turned to get Yang’s attention, “Yang and I were hoping to talk to you about something.”

Yang, taking her cue, finally cleared the rest of the distance between them, and nodded politely to Weiss’s father. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity, looking from Weiss to Yang. “What is this about?”

Weiss bit her lip, wondering how she should even start. “Well, you know Yang is Ruby’s sister, and she’s been bringing me to and from work for a while, now.”

Her father’s expression remained stoic, as professional as ever as he seemed to process Weiss’s words, to uncover the meaning behind them. He still kept his attention on Yang, waiting for the blonde to say anything at all. “Yes, thank you for accommodating Weiss.”

“It’s no problem at all, Sir,” Yang finally said, her tone quiet, betraying the confident smile she’d feigned across her lips. “I have to pick up Ruby from school, anyway, and since Weiss and I always go to the same place, it’s much easier to carpool.”

His mouth twitched, his eyes widening just the slightest bit as he seemed to finally start to catch on. “Do you also work at Beacon?” he inquired, his tone now tinged with a hint of amusement.

Weiss fought the urge to just blurt out the truth then and there, wanting to just rip off the bandage, but knowing better than Yang was the one who wanted to come clean. She shifted her feet beneath her, beginning to feel restless as she turned to Yang, wishing she could just grab her hand and give it a squeeze of encouragement. Oh, how she wanted this all to just be over…

“I actually work in the same office as Weiss,” Yang answered, straightening her back in what Weiss thought was probably an attempt to come off as more professional and sincere. “I’m the author of _Lost & Found _, the title that Weiss is drawing for.”

He blinked, his expression finally beginning to crack as he moved his gaze quickly to Weiss before turning back to Yang. It took him a moment longer to respond than he previously had been, his mind finally seeming to mull over all of the information he’d just received. “I see,” he finally stated, his royal eyes seeming to light up with several questions. He extended his hand, the corners of his lips moving upward into a surprising smile. “Well, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you, _Blondie_. From what I’ve read, you’re quite the talented writer.”

Now it was Weiss’s turn to blink. Did she just hear him right? From what he’d _read_ ? She glanced at Yang, who appeared to be just as shocked as Weiss, her own eyes wide with an array of emotions — confusion, acceptance, _excitement_.

“Thank you, Sir, that really means a lot to me,” Yang said more enthusiastically now, her smile widening into a grin. “I didn’t realize you’ve read my comics.”

Weiss took this chance to echo her partner’s sentiments. “Neither did I.” She stared at her father quizzically. “When did you start reading it?”

Her father nodded, seeming to already expect this question. “After that argument we had a while back, I finally decided to purchase one of those books and see what all of the fuss was about.” He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them and meeting Weiss with a smile. “I was waiting to tell you before I had the chance to pick up the newest issue. You were right about it, it’s a very compelling story, and the art style, while it took a while to get used to, definitely has a certain… _whimsical_ flair. I can understand why you enjoy it.”

She couldn’t believe she was hearing these words coming from her father’s lips. Was this _really_ happening? Did he actually… _like_ … comic books? Had he actually picked up her favorite title _just_ to understand her a little better? Weiss was grinning, now, too, a part of her still unbelieving, but most of her overjoyed by this new revelation. “Do you really mean that?”

He nodded again, his smile widening. “Yes, Weiss, I mean it.” He cleared his throat, and turned back to Yang. “Was this all you wished to discuss?”

Yang just looked to Weiss, signaling that it was her turn to speak. Yang had told the truth about her identity. Now all that was left to do was tell him about their feelings…

“There’s another thing,” Weiss said, her stomach tightening as her nerves once again began to spike. She swallowed, knowing the _easy_ part was finally out of the way, and there was no more avoiding what would come next. “Yang and I… Well, we’ve been working very closely together for a while, now, and during that time, we…” Weiss trailed off, lowering her gaze to a spot in the shiny surface of the luxurious marble floor. “We’ve developed a strong affection for each other.”

Her father hummed. “You like each other.”

“Yes, Sir,” Yang confirmed, her voice, much fuller, more confident than before, drawing Weiss’s attention back to her partner. “Weiss has come to mean a lot to me, more than anyone has in a very long time.”

“I see.” He closed his once more, drawing in a deep breath and holding it for a few seconds, seconds that felt like a lifetime to Weiss. Was he getting ready to lecture? To yell? To… to calmly disapprove? Finally, he opened his eyes, his expression stoic as he met Yang’s gaze. “How old are you, Yang?”

She furrowed her eyebrows. “U-um, nineteen, Sir. I’ll be twenty in just a couple of months.”

“Very well.”

Weiss frowned. _Very well?_ She exchanged a confused look with Yang, neither knowing what to say next. They’d said all they had to say, and her father was still there, still stoic as ever, not blowing up, not disappointed, not… not _anything_ …

Her father raised an eyebrow as they stood there in silence, glancing from Yang to Weiss as he cleared his throat. “You wanted my blessing, that’s why you wished to speak to me, right?”

“Yes, but—”

“But what?” He raised a hand to Weiss’s shoulder, an uncharacteristic display of affection from her father, but she didn’t shun it away. It felt… reassuring. He did the same to Yang, laying his free hand on her shoulder, and he smiled between them both. “I’ve been watching you two all evening. It’s very clear you both care very much about each other, and I trust my daughter enough to keep things professional in a work environment. I trust you do, too, Miss Xiao Long.”

Yang’s cheeks reddened, an awkward smile finding her lips. “Yes, Sir.”

Weiss’s mind was reeling. She couldn’t understand why this was going so… so _well_ … Had someone secretly been monitoring her father and replaced him when she wasn’t looking? This man was different, more open, more understanding than he’d been just weeks earlier. Had that one argument really been enough to change his mind? To give Weiss the freedom she truly seeked? She was about to question him when his words finally completely sank in, and another question pushed its way out. “Wait, you were _watching_ us? But you were upstairs the whole night!”

Her father lowered his hands, his gaze moving away for the first time that evening. He appeared… _embarrassed_? “I have cameras installed in almost every room in the house, Weiss. You know this.”

“Yes, but… you were… _spying_ on me?”

“I wouldn’t call it ‘spying’,” he deflected, letting out a small grunt. “I was curious to see how you interacted with your friends. It’s been years since you brought anyone home, I wanted to make sure you were having a good time.”

Weiss let out a small sigh of relief. She couldn’t blame her father for being protective, for being curious. And now that she knew the truth, it felt a bit endearing. Everything about her father’s behavior as of late had seemed to be, actually. She just wished she would have noticed sooner. He really had been pushing himself out of his comfort zone just for her sake, and she had to appreciate that he was even willing just to try, just to see things her way for once. She smiled up at her father, wider, more genuine than she’d smiled at him in a long time, and she couldn’t help but throw her arms around him. “Thank you, Dad… Thank you so much…”

He let out a startled gasp at the sudden embrace, but after the initial surprise had faded, he returned the hug, his arms strong and warm as he pulled his daughter tight. “You’re welcome.”

She pulled away and turned to Yang, reaching for her partner’s hand, an overwhelming feeling of joy that words just couldn’t describe welling up inside as Yang’s fingers intertwined with hers, lilac irises meeting Weiss’s icy blues. She couldn’t believe it. She still could not believe it. Yang was _hers_ , now, and Weiss was Yang’s. And nothing, _no one_ , for the first time ever, was standing in there way.

“I’ll let you see Yang out,” her father murmured with a smile. “Thank you for being honest with me, Weiss. I’m glad you had a great night.” He stepped around them and into the foyer, glancing back at them one last time before disappearing up the stairs, and leaving the new couple to themselves.

Once he was gone, Weiss let out the happiest of giggles, and jumped up into Yang’s arms. Yang joined in the laughter as she lifted Weiss off her feet, and started to step backwards toward the front door. It had been such an amazing night, such an amazing birthday week. Just as Blake, just as Yang, just as Winter had promised, everything had turned out perfect. For the first time, everything was going Weiss’s way. Everything was just _right_.

Yang gently set Weiss down at the door, and took her by the hands, holding her out at arms’ length. “Did you know you’re even more beautiful when you laugh like that?”

Weiss’s eyes lit up, her cheeks burned, but she didn’t dare try to hide it. She wanted Yang to see every little thing that Yang made her feel, every blush, every flutter, every dorky little smile. “I just can’t believe it…”

“I can,” Yang said softly, pulling Weiss back into her embrace. She lowered her head to Weiss’s shoulder, whispering the sweetest of words in her ear. “After all we’ve been through, it seemed impossible for this not to go our way.”

Weiss sighed, breathing in Yang’s scent, not wanting to pull away. She wanted to stay like this forever, in Yang’s arms, basking in her warmth. “I don’t want to say goodnight…”

Yang let out a breathy huff. “Then don’t.” She pulled back just slightly, a smile still painting her lips, lingering only inches away from Weiss’s own. “How about we say ‘until tomorrow’?”

Weiss brought her gaze down to Yang’s lips, desire itching at the back of her mind, of her heart. She glanced back up to meet those beautiful irises, reflecting back the same desire, the same tenderness and affection. “I like the sound of that.”

She glanced behind Yang, finding an empty foyer much to her elatement, and turned her gaze quickly back to the beauty before her, the few seconds she’d looked away having been a few seconds much too long. Finally free to act, she cleared the rest of the space between them, and drew Yang in for a kiss. Their lips moved smoothly, slowly together, just as gentle as their first, but every touch, every tingling breath against each other’s lips felt just as exciting, just as passionate, just as new. If this was what kissing Yang would always be like, Weiss hoped the feeling would _never_ go away.

When they finally parted, Weiss’s heart was so full, she felt like it might burst. She held Yang’s gaze for another long moment, memorizing every twinkle in her violet eyes, every little freckle and touched-up blemish on her face. When she was sure she had Yang’s image burned into her mind, she finally allowed herself to step away, and reach for the front door. “You should probably get going, now.”

Yang nodded. “The sooner I get home, the sooner I can text you about my night.”

Weiss smirked. “I can’t wait to hear all about it.”

“Oh, it’ll be a good one.” Yang grinned, giving Weiss’s hands one last squeeze before she backed out of the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Weiss.”

She smiled, watching Yang disappear out into the night. She stood there even a few minutes later when Yang had reached her car, and pulled out of the driveway, the obnoxious yellow vehicle glowing bright even in the dark. She stood there until she could no longer see the car rolling down the street in the opposite direction, until she could no longer hear the quiet sound of tires against the pavement. And only then, did she close the door, the image of Yang, of her partner, of her _girlfriend_ , still fresh in her mind. _Until tomorrow._

* * *

**_...And they lived happily ever after!_ **

**That’s it! That’s the end!**

**I want to thank everyone who has been there with me ever since Day 1 of this rollercoaster of a story. I know the wait has been grueling, but if it weren’t for all of you continuing to support me and sending in all of your wonderful reviews, I would never have had the motivation to finish this piece. Thank you so much to each and every one of you, and I can only hope you enjoyed this ending as much as I did writing it.**

**I would also like to share with you all that this fanfiction has really opened a lot of doors for me, and it has inspired me in a way that I never thought possible. I’ve decided I’m going to be adapting this story into an original, multi-volume book series featuring much more drama, angst, fluff, and beautiful characters than before!**

**Thank you all for sticking with me, I hope you’ll continue to stay with me as I start some new stories and explore more RWBY characters and pairings. Who knows, maybe I’ll even add some little expansions to my collection of L &F one-shots “Creative Cure” in the future ;) **

**Keep being awesome,**

**\- Eli**


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